Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Leigh Port: Regeneration

Anna Firth: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether the Levelling Up funding awarded for the Leigh Port Regeneration Scheme will be withdrawn.

Jacob Young: In Round 1 of the Levelling Up Fund we awarded £19.9 million to Southend-on-Sea City Council to support infrastructure upgrades to coastal attractions, this included the renovation of Leigh Port.My officials will be in touch to arrange a meeting so you can discuss with me how we can further progress this project and ensure it is delivered successfully.

Religious Buildings: Coronavirus

Sir Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of closing places of worship during the covid-19 pandemic on people’s (a) physical and (b) mental health; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Hoare: Freedom of religion or belief and the freedom to worship are fundamental human rights.That is why the decision to close our Places of Worship, alongside all other places where people gathered, was made with great reluctance in the very earliest stages of the pandemic.Recognising the importance of our Places of Worship to the spiritual, mental and physical health of our communities, we worked hard to ensure that they were able to reopen as soon as possible.Gradual reopening began in June 2020 when it was clear how risks to worshippers could be minimised and our Places of Worship were able to remain open for worshippers throughout the remainder of the pandemic.

Housing: Greater Manchester

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2023 to Question 4484 on Housing: Birmingham, what estimate he has made of the level of demand for new homes in the Greater Manchester Combined Authority area.

Lee Rowley: Places for Everyone, the joint strategic local plan for 9 out of the 10 Greater Manchester local planning authorities is at examination. With this in mind it is not possible for the Secretary of State to comment on the plan itself due to his quasi-judicial role in the planning system.

Private Rented Housing: Overcrowding

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle overcrowding offences by private landlords; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to help tackle that practice.

Jacob Young: Local authorities have a wide range of powers to require landlords to remedy serious hazards, including overcrowding, in privately rented homes. The Renters (Reform) Bill will strengthen these powers by introducing new financial penalties to landlords who fail to take reasonably practicable steps to keep their properties free of serious hazards, including overcrowding.

Sleeping Rough: Temporary Accommodation

Dehenna Davison: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that people sleeping rough have access to emergency accommodation.

Felicity Buchan: The Rough Sleeping Initiative 2022-25 is investing over £530 million in funding to local authorities across England from April 2022 to March 2025. This includes an additional investment of £34.6 million announced in September 2023, to increase funding of rough sleeping services in local areas with the greatest need. The Rough Sleeping Initiative supports local authorities to develop their services from emergency interventions for rough sleepers to a focus on prevention, more sustained off-the-street accommodation offers and tailored support for those who are most vulnerable.The Night Shelter Transformation Fund is investing £13 million to small – medium sized community and faith groups to increase the provision of quality single-room accommodation within the night shelter sector. The multi-year grant funding provides capital and revenue funding to support the sector to transform towards single-room year-round accommodation as the norm, as well as increasing the availability and quality of support for service users.

Wilko

Tahir Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what lessons for the protection of high streets his Department has learned from the collapse of Wilko.

Jacob Young: Government has no role in the strategic direction or management of private companies, but we understand that the failure of a business is very difficult for all involved, especially employees.We recognise the importance of the retail sector and its significance for employment and the economy. Government will continue to work with retail businesses, including those taking over Wilko’s assets as well as through the industry-led Retail Sector Council to determine the sector’s long-term strategic needs. We want all types of retail to thrive now and in the future.

Evictions

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2023 to Question 4394 answered 4 December 2023 on Evictions, what data his Department holds centrally on housing evictions.

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will take steps to monitor the number of private tenants evicted under Section 21 notices.

Jacob Young: The department monitors the volume of repossessions by county court bailiffs in landlord cases using quarterly statistics published by the Ministry of Justice. The statistics also include volumes of accelerated possession claims brought to the courts where the landlord has served a section 21 notice.The statistics can be accessed here.

Elections: Campaigns

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the increased election campaigning spending cap.

Simon Hoare: I refer the hon Member to the written statement (HCWSS53) made on 20 November 2023.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Official Hospitality

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much their Department spent on hospitality in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.

Simon Hoare: We do not routinely publish this data, as has been the case under successive administrations. All Business Units within the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities have a responsibility to keep official hospitality costs as low as possible and demonstrate good value for money.Details of ministerial and senior official hospitality are published on a quarterly basis, and are available on Gov.uk.

Constituencies

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, for what reason the draft Order giving effect to the new parliamentary constituency boundaries was not submitted to the Privy Council within four months.

Simon Hoare: I refer the hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 754 on 13 November 2023.

Department for Transport

Roads: Birmingham

Tahir Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his planned timetable is for providing feedback on the Full Business Case for the Birmingham Highways Maintenance and Management PFI contract, submitted to his Department by Birmingham City Council and Birmingham Highways Ltd in August 2023.

Guy Opperman: The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps to help ensure that elderly motorists have access to affordable car insurance policies.

Guy Opperman: The Government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules.Department for Transport officials regularly liaise with representatives of the motor insurance industry and discuss issues as they arise.

Large Goods Vehicles: Driving Tests

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many publicly-booked Driver CPC part 3b tests were conducted in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) Bishopbriggs Test Centre in each quarter since April 2021.

Guy Opperman: The table below shows the number of part 3b tests conducted in each quarter since April 2021 in the UK, Scotland and at Bishopbriggs test centre.   UKScotlandBishopbriggs  test centreApr / May / Jun 20211876110660Jul / Aug / Sep 20212359514910Oct / Nov / Dec 20212714416190Jan / Feb / Mar 20222639117420Apr / May / Jun 202228386205639Jul / Aug / Sep 202231128218146Oct / Nov / Dec 202228112192445Jan / Feb / Mar 202326334182573Apr / May / June 202322697164271July / Aug / Sep 202320544135168

Motor Vehicles: Carbon Emissions

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2023 to Question 1534 on Motor Vehicles: Carbon Emissions, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the report entitled Powered Light Vehicles Life Cycle published by Zemo Partnership in December 2021.

Anthony Browne: As stated in the answer to Question 1534, we are now analysing responses to the 2022 consultation on ending the sale of new non-zero emission L-category vehicles, including evidence provided on this issue, and will bring forward the Government’s response in due course.The Government recognises that L-category vehicles represent a small proportion of the overall greenhouse gas exhaust emissions created by the road transport sector. However, only a transition to fully zero emission technologies will reduce air and noise pollution.

Electric Vehicles: Motorcycles

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the impact of the reduction of the plug-in motorcycle grant on the (a) commercial viability of the production and (b) consumer uptake of electric mopeds and motorcycles.

Anthony Browne: The plug-in motorcycle grant, which was introduced in 2017 to stimulate the early market for zero emission mopeds and motorcycles, has provided over £7m to support the purchase of over 11,000 zero emission mopeds and motorcycles. In 2021, the share of moped (L1-category vehicles) registrations that were electric was 41.7%. After a grant rate reduction at the end of 2021, this remained similar at 40.6% in 2022. In 2021, the share of motorcycle (L3-category vehicles) registrations that were electric was 2.9%. After a grant rate reduction at the end of 2021 and the introduction of the £10k price cap, this increased to 3.3% in 2022.

Railways: North of England

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to publish the revised business case for Northern Powerhouse Rail.

Huw Merriman: All NPR schemes will be subject to the development and approval of business cases and will undergo all formal governance, in line with relevant fiscal and legal duties.

Rolling Stock: Contracts

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2023 to Question 2557 on published on Rolling Stock: Contracts, how long the leasing arrangements are that his Department has provided consent for Avanti West Coast to enter into with (a) Angel Trains Limited for the Class 390 units and (b) Cross Country for the leasing of Class 170 from Porterbrook; and what assessment he has made of the value for money of these arrangements.

Huw Merriman: Avanti and CrossCountry recently entered into new National Rail Contracts (NRCs) that started in October. As part of this, the operators negotiated new train leases with the rolling stock owners. Each NRC was subject to a full value-for-money assessment.(a) The Class 390 trains have the ability to be leased until 1 April 2031.(b) The Class 170 trains have the ability to be leased until 12 October 2031.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Post Offices

Sarah Dyke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that rural communities can access DVLA services after the end of the DVLA contract with the Post Office on 31 March 2024.

Guy Opperman: Post Office Ltd currently provides a limited range of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) services, with the current contract recently being extended.The vast majority of those licensing vehicles already do so online or via the DVLA’s automated telephone service, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Cabinet Office

Prime Minister: Official Hospitality

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much the Prime Minister's Office spent on hospitality in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much their Department spent on hospitality in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.

Alex Burghart: The Prime Minister’s Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office and as such their data is included within the Cabinet Office data. I refer the Honourable Member to PQ 191749. We do not routinely publish departmental wide hospitality data, as has been the case under successive administrations. All Business Units within the Cabinet Office have a responsibility to keep official hospitality costs as low as possible and demonstrate good value for money. Details of ministerial and senior official hospitality are published on a quarterly basis, and are available on GOV.UK.

Migrant Workers: Pay

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish a breakdown of what employee monthly earnings were in the first full-year of employment for people from (a) each individual EU member state and (b) country of nationality for non-EU member states in each year between 2016 and 2022.

John Glen: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 8 December is attached.UK Statistics Authority (pdf, 108.0KB)

Ministers: Science and Statistics

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 6 December 2023 to Question 4272 on Ministers: Science and Statistics, whether the eight masterclasses are mandatory; and how many Ministers have enrolled to these courses as of 7 December 2023.

John Glen: The masterclass programme is not mandatory. The programme is delivered with recognition that there are multiple competing demands on ministers' time. To date 39 ministers have attended one or more sessions.

Stoll: Housing

Luke Pollard: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the sale of Sir Oswald Stoll Mansions property and land on the health of veterans.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have met representatives of the veterans charity Stoll to discuss its financial situation since 2018.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has provided advice to military housing charity Stoll on the proposed majority sale of Sir Oswald Stoll Mansions.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has had discussions with Stoll on the sale of Sir Oswald Stoll Mansions to Chelsea Football Club.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of whether the veterans' charity Stoll is meeting its obligations under the Armed Forces Covenant.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of refusing any housing support funding requests made by the veterans’ charity Stoll.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to provide (a) financial and (b) other support to veterans impacted by the proposed sale of Sir Oswald Stoll Mansions.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential financial impact of the proposed sale of Sir Oswald Stoll Mansions on the veterans that live there.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much his Department spent on veterans' accommodation in (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, (c) 2021-22 and (d) 2022-23.

Johnny Mercer: Officials from the Office for Veterans’ Affairs continue to engage with Stoll regarding the sale of Sir Oswald Stoll Mansions and the support being provided to residents during the transition period. This Government has dedicated nearly £30m towards the provision of veteran housing. This includes £8.55m through the Reducing Veteran Homelessness Programme for veteran supported housing; the launch of Op FORTITUDE as the single referral pathway for homeless veterans and the £20m Capital Housing Fund which will increase the stock of veteran housing through the refurbishment of existing properties and the construction of new builds. We remain committed to upholding the Armed Forces Covenant and ensuring that the UK becomes the best place in the world to be a veteran.

Department of Health and Social Care

Members: Correspondence

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for South Shields of 2 November 2023.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Smoking: Young People

Andrew Lewer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the consultation entitled Creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping, published on 12 October 2023, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of including heated tobacco products within these proposals on levels of smoking cessation.

Andrea Leadsom: Smoking is responsible for around 80,000 deaths a year in the United Kingdom and causes approximately one in four cancer deaths in the UK. It also costs our country £17 billion a year and puts a huge burden on the National Health Service. This is why the Government is planning to create a smokefree generation by bringing forward legislation so that children turning 14 years old or younger this year will never be legally sold tobacco products.All tobacco products are harmful. The new legislation proposes to mirror existing age of sale legislation which includes any product containing tobacco, both smoked and smokeless, and intended for oral or nasal use, and cigarette papers.  Our consultation to gather views on our proposals and their implementation closed on 6 December 2023.We will publish our Impact Assessment shortly.

Air Pollution: Death

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she plans to publish the annual estimate of the fraction of mortality attributable to particulate air pollution in 2022.

Maria Caulfield: The Department plans to publish the annual estimate of the fraction of mortality attributable to particulate air pollution for 2022 for England in the Public Health Outcomes Framework (PHOF) in early 2024 which can be found at the following link:https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/public-health-outcomes-framework

Smoking: Young People

Andrew Lewer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how soon after the closure of her Department's consultation entitled Creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping on 6 December 2023 she plans to publish the draft Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Andrea Leadsom: Smoking is responsible for around 80,000 deaths a year in the United Kingdom and causes around one in four cancer deaths in the UK. It also costs our country £17 billion a year and puts a huge burden on the National Health Service.That is why we will introduce the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in this parliamentary session to create the first smokefree generation and enable us to further crack down on youth vaping. The consultation closed on 6 December 2023 and we will respond shortly ahead of the introduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

General Practitioners

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of NHS GP appointments in each region were (a) same-day and (b) virtual in 2023.

Andrea Leadsom: The following table shows, for the period January to October 2023, the percentage of appointments delivered on the same day as booking, as well as the percentage of appointments delivered online:Region% of all appointments delivered on the same day as booking% of appointments delivered onlineLondon45.0%1.5%South East42.6%1.3%South West39.7%1.5%East of England41.9%1.1%North West43.9%1.1%Midlands44.4%1.4%North East and Yorkshire41.3%1.5%Source: General Practice Appointment Data, NHS EnglandNotes:The percentage of appointments delivered on the same day as booking is calculated based on all appointments that took place during this period, including non-urgent appointments, such as smear tests, that are usually booked in advance.The percentage of appointments delivered online does not include telephone appointments.There are known data quality issues relating to mode of appointment.

Mental Health Services: Warwickshire

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding has been allocated to mental health services in Warwickshire in each year since 2010.

Maria Caulfield: It is for individual local commissioners to allocate funding to mental health services to meet the needs of their local populations and this information is not collected centrally. Integrated care boards are expected to continue to meet the Mental Health Investment Standard by increasing their investment in mental health services in line with their overall increase in funding for the year. Spending on NHS mental health services in England continues to increase each year from almost £11 billion in 2015/16 to almost £16 billion in 2022/23.

Members: Correspondence

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she plans to respond to the correspondence of 1 June 2023 from the hon. Member for South Shields.

Andrew Stephenson: The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Lord Markham) has received the hon. Member’s letter and will reply shortly.

Gender Dysphoria

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Consultation report for the interim service specification for specialist gender incongruence services for children and young people published by NHS England on 9 June 2023, if she will provide a definition of the term early-onset gender dysphoria.

Maria Caulfield: Early-onset gender dysphoria is referred to in NHS England’s Consultation report for the interim service specification. It is referenced in relation to research that has been commissioned by the research board, chaired by Professor Sir Simon Wessely, into the impact of puberty suppressing hormones in children with ‘early-onset’ gender dysphoria.The focus on ‘early-onset’ gender dysphoria responds directly to findings from the Cass Review that in recent years there has been a dramatic change in the case-mix of referrals to specialist gender services. from predominantly birth-registered males presenting with gender incongruence from an early age to predominantly birth-registered females presenting with later onset of reported gender incongruence in early teens. It will be for the clinical trial study team to propose the precise eligibility definitions to be used in the study as the proposal is developed over the next few months.

Social Services: Finance

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to her Department's publication entitled Adult social care system reform: next steps to put People at the Heart of Care, published on 4 April 2023, if she will take steps to make funding available to expedite the discharge of elderly patients from hospital.

Helen Whately: The Government is investing an additional £600 million this year, and £1 billion next year through the Discharge Fund. This funding will enable the National Health Service and local authorities in England to reduce discharge delays, including by commissioning additional packages of care and support for rehabilitation and reablement.In September, alongside the £200 million to boost resilience in the NHS, we announced a £40 million fund, targeted at local authorities in the most challenged NHS systems in England. This fund will strengthen urgent and emergency care resilience and performance this winter by preventing avoidable admissions or by reducing discharge delays.

Abortion: Telemedicine

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will review the safeguarding measures in place for the provision of telemedicine abortion services.

Maria Caulfield: Safeguarding is an essential aspect of abortion care, including in telemedicine abortion services. The Department’s Required Standard Operating Procedures for approved independent sector abortion providers in England (RSOPs) include the requirement that all abortion providers have effective arrangements in place to safeguard vulnerable women accessing home-use early medical abortion. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspects against all of the Department’s RSOPs when it inspects an independent sector provider, and safeguarding procedures are included in the CQC’s Termination of Pregnancy inspection framework as areas to be considered during an inspection.In addition, the Department commissioned the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health to develop new national safeguarding guidance for children and young people under 18 years old accessing early medical abortion services, which was published on 30 August 2022, to ensure that robust safeguarding processes are embedded across all abortion services.

Dementia: Diagnosis

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make it her policy to increase funding for diagnosis in the dementia strategy.

Helen Whately: Timely diagnosis of dementia is vital to ensure that a person with dementia can access the advice, information, care, and support that can help them to live well with the condition and remain independent for as long as possible.In 2021/22, the Government allocated £17 million to NHS England to address dementia waiting lists and increase the number of diagnoses. NHS England will share reporting on the impact of this funding and examples of good practice with dementia clinical networks and stakeholders by March 2024.On 24 January 2023, the Government announced that it will publish a Major Conditions Strategy covering six conditions including dementia. Our Major Conditions Strategy will consider prevention, early diagnosis, treatment, and long-term care to support people to stay in good health for longer.

Coronavirus: Immunosuppression

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to provide covid-19 (a) tests and (b) treatment to immunocompromised patients in winter 2023-24.

Maria Caulfield: As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS702 on 30 March 2023, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will maintain a range of capabilities to protect those at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. We have retained appropriate levels of testing to support diagnosis for clinical care and treatment and to protect higher risk individuals. Those who are eligible for COVID-19 treatments can collect free rapid lateral flow test kits from a local pharmacy. Those who are immunocompromised are eligible for COVID-19 treatments and influenza antivirals in the community, enabling them easy access to treatment.Higher risk individuals, their carers, and household contacts, are also part of the priority cohort in line for booster vaccines. UKHSA continues to encourage people to take vaccines they are eligible for, most recently via the ‘get winter strong’ campaign. More information on the campaign is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-campaign-get-winter-strong-with-flu-and-covid-19-vaccinesGuidance for people whose immune system means they are at a higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19 is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk

Tobacco: Sales

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2023 to Question 3835 on Tobacco: Sales, what discussions she has had with Trading Standards on the resources required to enforce a generational smoking ban.

Andrea Leadsom: Smoking is responsible for around 80,000 deaths a year in the United Kingdom and causes approximately one in four cancer deaths in the UK. It also costs our country £17 billion a year and puts a huge burden on the National Health Service.That is why we will introduce the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in this parliamentary session to create the first smokefree generation, enable us to further crack down on youth vaping and strengthen our enforcement activity, through new powers to fine rogue retailers. To ensure the law is enforced, the Government is providing an additional £30 million a year for enforcement agencies to support work on underage and illicit sales of tobacco products and vapes.Officials are speaking regularly with trading standards about the use of the additional enforcement funding and around enforcement action more generally.

Nurses: Lost Working Days

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many FTE working days were lost in each nursing band, broken down by reason for absence, in the year to June 2023.

Andrew Stephenson: NHS England publishes monthly data on sickness absence of National Health Service staff draw from the NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR) system. This includes high level categories of reason for absence. However, this is not detailed enough to see reasons for absence by pay bands. NHS England has therefore created a bespoke report including pay band information, which is consistent with the published data, for the response to this question.A table is attached which shows how many full-time equivalent working days were available and lost for nurses and health visitors by Agenda for Change pay band and by reason in NHS trusts and other core organisations in England for the period between July 2022 to June 2023. Due to the way they are recorded on ESR, days lost may include non-working days as the system does not record planned or scheduled working days. It should also be noted that some trusts provide very few reasons for sickness absence, so figures will be incomplete but the best available. In a small number of cases, some registered nurses are coded below the recognised Band 5 entry level. This could be due to different factors such as data quality errors often observed within administrative datasets; for example, some health care assistants may be coded as nursesSickness absence of Nurses   (xlsx, 26.0KB)

NHS: Stress

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the number of FTE working days lost due to stress-related absences across the NHS in the year to June 2023.

Andrew Stephenson: NHS England publishes monthly data on sickness absence of National Health Service staff drawn from the NHS Electronic Staff Record system. This includes high level categories of reason for absence. It is not possible from this data to identify days lost due to stress, but data is collected and reported for the broader category of ‘stress, anxiety, depression or other psychiatric illnesses’. The data shows that between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023, there were 6,110,681 full time equivalent (FTE) days lost to sickness absence which fall in that broader category.FTE days lost may include non-working days as sickness absence is recorded from the day someone first reports sick until they return to work. Information on the days people were scheduled to work is not held centrally, and so periods may include non-working days. It should also be noted that some trusts provide very few reasons for sickness absence, so figures will be incomplete but the best available.

NHS: Drugs

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information the National Homecare Medicines Committee has provided to the (a) Care Quality Commission, (b) General Pharmaceutical Council and (c) Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency on the adequacy of the (i) performance and (ii) safety of homecare medicines services in the last three years.

Andrew Stephenson: The National Homecare Medicines Committee (NHMC) has provided no information to the Care Quality Commission or to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency about the adequacy of the performance and safety of homecare medicines providers in the last three years. The General Pharmaceutical Council has had occasional meetings with the NHMC in the past, more than three years ago. It has now been invited to attend NHMC quarterly meetings and has been taking part in those meetings since November 2023.

NHS: Protective Clothing

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 28 March 2022 to Question 125391 on Bunzl Healthcare: Protective clothing, how much his Department spent on its legal costs for the judicial review in relation to the contract awarded by his Department to Bunzl Healthcare in April 2020.

Andrew Stephenson: In total, as of the end of October 2023, the Department has spent £915,071, excluding VAT, in relation to the judicial review regarding the contract awarded by the department to Bunzl Healthcare in April 2020.

Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases: Artificial Intelligence

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to support hospital trusts to adopt AI technologies to assist with (a) interventions for and (b) treatment of (i) cancers, (ii) strokes and (iii) heart conditions.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department is funding the AI in Health and Care Award which has provided £123 million to 86 artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The Award was created to accelerate the testing and evaluation of some of the most promising AI technologies that can support clinicians. Through the Award, projects are being funded to support clinicians in diagnosing and treating cancers, strokes, and heart conditions. For example, as of December 2023, AI for use in stroke is deployed in 92% of stroke units in England, substantially lowering the time it takes for people to receive treatment.In June 2023, the Department announced a £21 million AI diagnostics fund to support imaging networks in England to adopt AI technologies into the lung cancer pathway. Funding has been allocated to 11 imaging networks, covering 64 trusts. In addition, the Department is piloting an AI deployment platform to see if a centralised platform could facilitate the deployment of AI technologies for radiology.

Vaccination: Children

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of children’s access to vaccination services.

Maria Caulfield: The Government is committed to improving vaccination uptake rates to fully protect the public from vaccine preventable diseases. The Department works with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and NHS England to improve children’s access to vaccination services through diverse delivery methods, making getting vaccinated easier for all, including those in traditionally under-served groups. NHS England has rolled out additional programmes such as NHS England London’s new drive to increase measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine uptake last summer to improve immunisation coverage for children and catch-up missed vaccinations due to the pandemic. The Department is working with NHS England and UKHSA to encourage high uptake of all childhood vaccinations, including the polio vaccine, with NHS England London launching the next phase of their polio campaign, delivering a school-based catch-up for children aged between one and 11 years old. This will also provide opportunities to catch up children for other important childhood vaccines, including MMR.

Pharmacy

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress she has made on increasing the range of services available in pharmacies across England.

Andrea Leadsom: The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2019-24 five-year deal sets out how community pharmacy will deliver more clinical services and become the first port of call for minor illnesses. A range of new services have been introduced under the five-year deal, including minor illness referrals from NHS 111, general practitioners (GPs) and accident and emergency, blood pressure checks and a contraception service. Pharmacies also have a growing role in vaccinating against flu and COVID-19.On 1 December 2023, we expanded the contraception service so that community pharmacists can also initiate contraception. Additional funding is available for community pharmacists to deliver more contraception consultations and blood pressure checks. Early in 2024, Pharmacy First will be launched, enabling community pharmacists to manage seven common conditions including the supply of prescription-only medicines without a prescription from a GP. The seven conditions are sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bite, impetigo, shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women.

Autism: Diagnosis

Tahir Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time is for an adult autism diagnosis.

Maria Caulfield: Data on the average waiting times between referral for an autism assessment and diagnosis is not held centrally. Some data is held on average length of time between referral and first care contact. NHS England analysis indicates that, as of June 2023, for people aged 18 years old and over, there were 3,730 referrals for suspected autism where the date of first care contact falls within the period April to June 2023, which is the latest quarter available. The median waiting time for these referrals was 225 days.The autism assessment waiting times data published on 14 September 2023 showed that the number of patients aged 18 years old and over with an open referral for suspected autism was 59,099 in June 2023. The data also showed that, in June 2023, 2,906 patients, or 5.8%, aged 18 years old and over with an open suspected autism referral in the month, that has been open for at least 13 weeks, received a first appointment in 13 weeks or less. The subsequent waiting times publication is 14 December 2023.

Measles: Children

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to reduce children’s exposure to measles.

Maria Caulfield: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is working closely with NHS England, the Department and wider health system partners at the national, regional and local levels to ensure the health system is prepared and can respond to outbreaks. Briefing notes and letters have been sent to the National Health Service and health professional organisations to remind them of existing guidance and ask them to seek assurance of their preparedness to manage measles cases and prevent outbreaks in their settings. National Measles guidance has been updated, and a range of resources have been published including posters and training resources, which are all available at the following links: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-measles-guidelines https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/measles-information-and-poster-for-health-professionals https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/measles-guidance-data-and-analysis In January 2024, a national multi-agency exercise is planned to assess the system-wide preparedness to respond to a large measles outbreak at a regional and national level. UKHSA, NHS England, the Department and wider health system partners are also working to raise public awareness of the risks and increase measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination coverage, including through national and regional call-recall exercises, communication campaigns and targeted outreach for underserved communities. NHS England has agreed with general practices to focus their annual campaign on local call recall for MMR to ensure that consistent efforts are made to contact those eligible who have not taken up a vaccine offer between November 2023 and March 2024. A national call recall for individuals aged six years old up to and including 25 years old who are not up to date with their MMR vaccine is planned for 2024.

Health Services

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the elective recovery taskforce's implementation plan, what steps her Department is taking to ensure equity in access for people who are unable to use (a) NHS Digital, (b) MyPlanned and (c) other online platforms relevant to healthcare.

Andrew Stephenson: In September 2023, NHS England published a framework for action on digital inclusion to help the system design and implement inclusive digital approaches and technologies, including actions to build digital skills and capability among patients and National Health Service staff. This covers all NHS digital platforms, including My Planned Care. Patients unable to use digital channels will continue to be able to access services via telephone and through face-to-face services. The elective recovery taskforce implementation plan will also ensure patients have the right to receive care at a provider of their choice.

Patients: Food Poisoning

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information her Department holds on the number of instances of in-patient sickness owing to food poisoning.

Andrew Stephenson: The information requested is not held centrally.

Musculoskeletal Disorders: Preventive Medicine

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential efficacy of the use of (a) exoskeletons and (b) wearable robotics as a technical aid to help prevent musculoskeletal disorders; and whether the Government is taking steps to promote such technologies.

Andrew Stephenson: No assessment has been currently made on use of exoskeletons or wearable robotics as a technical aid, and NHS England is not currently exploring the use of exoskeletons or wearable robotics within their musculoskeletal work.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is developing medical technologies guidance on GaitSmart, which is looking at its use for people at risk for falling. Gaitsmart is a sensor-based digital technology that monitors limb movement, for gait and mobility issues. This guidance is due to be published this month.

NHS: ICT

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Lord Markham's keynote speech at London Tech Week 2023 on 12 June 2023, what her Department's planned timetable is for publishing the policy framework clarifying the market pathway for digital health technologies.

Andrew Stephenson: NHS England is working with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to develop a policy framework for Digital Health Technologies. The framework will clarify the market pathway for industry and ensure that well-evidenced technologies reach the hands of patients. The policy is planned for publication in 2024.

Department for Education

Pupils: Absenteeism

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the reasons that children are not in school; and to what extent those reasons vary for children with (a) autism, (b) ADHD and (c) other mental health challenges.

Damian Hinds: For pupils on the roll of schools, information on pupil absence by Special Educational Need (SEN) primary type of need for academic years up to 2021/22 is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-absence-in-schools-in-england/2021-22. Information of SEN primary type of need by reason for absence, and showing a number of sessions of absence is available in a table via a link available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/629fb83a-be3d-4afd-fae3-08dbf5f3097e. This table includes Autistic Spectrum Disorder which is not specifically collected as an individual category. The department also collects data on children missing education (CME). As defined in the Section 436A of the Education Act 1996, CME are children of compulsory school age  who are not registered pupils at a school and are not receiving suitable education otherwise than at a school. More information on data linked to CME are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-missing-education. Further data on the number of children who are electively home educated, including the primary reason given for electively home educating are available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/d01bfff8-6b30-4be6-fb06-08dbf5f3097e.

Department for Education: Recruitment

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department spent on external recruitment consultants in the (a) 2020-21, (b) 2021-22 and (c) 2022-23 financial year.

Damian Hinds: The department’s expenditure, including consultancy fees, is published each year in the Annual Report and Accounts and is available on GOV.UK. The most recent Annual Report for the 2021/22 financial year, is accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-education-consolidated-annual-report-and-accounts-2021-to-2022.The department does not split out external recruitment consultant from other consultant spend.External recruitment agencies and search firms are an important resource which support the Civil Service's ability to recruit and to find talented people, in the right places, with the right capabilities to deliver for the people of the United Kingdom. The Civil Service has developed a number of commercial frameworks which provide transparency, high quality services and value for money.

Schools: Discipline

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department records information on the number of children placed in isolation at school who (a) are (i) neurodivergent and (ii) experiencing other mental health challenges and (b) do not have those diagnoses.

Damian Hinds: The department does not collect or hold data centrally on the number of children placed in isolation at school who have a neurodiversity diagnosis, a mental health challenge or no diagnosis at all.

Apprentices: Taxation

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many apprenticeship levy funded service accounts have (a) utilised all of the funds in their account and (b) not utilised all of the funds available within the two-year time period in each year since its introduction.

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much and what proportion of funds raised from the apprenticeship levy have remained unspent within the two year threshold in each year since its introduction.

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the amount and proportion of apprenticeship levy funds that will be unspent in financial year 2023-24; and whether she has made an assessment of potential trends in the level and proportion of that underspend in each of the next five financial years.

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has plans to increase the number of courses and training schemes that are eligible to be funded through the resources available to employers raised through the apprenticeship levy.

Robert Halfon: The government introduced the apprenticeship levy to incentivise larger businesses to develop and invest in their own apprenticeship programmes whilst ensuring the availability of funding for smaller employers wanting to offer apprenticeships. Through the levy, the government is increasing investment in the apprenticeships system in England to £2.7 billion in the 2024/25 financial year to support employers of all sizes build their workforces. As the apprenticeships levy is UK wide, income from the levy also supports the Devolved Administrations to invest in their skills programmes. In England, employers can use their levy contributions to fund apprenticeships in their own business or transfer their funds to other businesses in their supply chain, sector or region. Funds that levy payers do not draw on is used to fund apprenticeships in small and medium sized businesses. Levy payers are not expected to use all funds available to them, though they are able to do so. The table below shows the number of registered employer apprenticeship service accounts that utilised all their funds available, as well as the number that did not, in each financial year since the introduction of the apprenticeship levy in 2017.  FYNumber of registered employer accounts on the apprenticeship service that utilised all funds availableNumber of registered employer accounts on the apprenticeship service that did not utilise all their funds available and therefore had expired funds2017/18565075702018/195030106602019/204930119602020/215210122302021/22679011920  Please note that:Funds remain available for 24 months before they begin to expire on a rolling, month-by-month basis; as employers began to pay the apprenticeship levy in April 2017, unused levy funds began to expire in May 2019.The sum of expiry figures for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years are not specified as funds do not expire for 24 months.Expiry figures for the 2017/2018 financial year will appear lower than future years due to the oldest funds in an employers’ accounts being utilised first.Expiry figures for the 2021/22 financial year only include data to October and therefore does not represent a full year.  The funds available to levy-paying employers through their apprenticeship service accounts are not the same as the apprenticeships budget which funds apprenticeships for employers of all sizes. On average, 98% of the apprenticeships budget has been spent in the last two financial years. Spend for the 2023/24 financial year, and for future years, will be set out in the department’s annual report and accounts which will be published when available. The apprenticeships budget beyond 2024/25 will be determined at the next Spending Review.With regard to allowing levy-paying employers to spend funds on non-apprenticeship training schemes and courses, I refer my right hon. Friend, the Member for Witham to the answer I gave on 10 November 2023 to Question 614.

Music: Education

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2023 to Question 2118 on Music: education, what the cost to the public purse was of (a) consultations and (b) legal advice on proposals to change the structure of music education hubs.

Damian Hinds: As set out in the Answer to Question 2118, as part of the refreshed National Plan for Music Education, published in June 2022, the government set out its intention to re-compete the hubs lead organisation (HLO) role and reduce the number of HLOs. Alongside these reforms, the Department also committed significant funding for the Music Hubs programme, with £79 million per annum revenue funding to academic year 2024/25 and an additional £25 million capital for instruments and musical equipment. Music Hubs are partnerships co-ordinated by a HLO and made up of schools and academy trusts, local authorities, music and wider arts and education organisations and charities, community or youth organisations, and more. When launched in 2012, there were 123 Music Hubs covering the 152 upper-tier local authority (LA) areas in England. Following various transfers and restructures over the last ten years, there are now 118 HLOs: 98 covering single LA areas and 20 covering multi-LA areas. These changes reflect the approach which other similar initiatives and infrastructure that are relevant to the lives of children and young people have taken, including Teaching School Hubs, English and Maths Hubs, Multi Academy Trusts, Local Enterprise Partnerships and Sport England’s Active Partnerships. Having 43 HLOs working across a wider set of music education partnerships from September 2024 should bring significant benefits to children, young people and schools, as HLOs will be able to more strategic, building stronger partnerships with schools, academy trusts, local authorities and others, resulting in high quality support in every local area and to ensure there are no local ‘cold spots’ where access to provision is limited. This should also support a more consistent high quality approach to music education for all children regardless of where they live or go to school, by offering:improved and more equitable access to a diverse range of musical activities, opportunities, teachers, instruments and equipmentgreater consistency of provision and ability to scale up effective programmes and ways of working for children and young people and schoolsgreater access to more advanced ensembles and a wider range of progression opportunitiesgreater access to the cultural capital centred around urban centres, thus improving connections and reducing isolation for rural communitiesmore strategic leadership and governance, plus a wider range of employment opportunities and progression routes for the music education workforceaccess to greater resources, capacity and capability to use government funding to leverage further investment, andan increased profile with wider musical stakeholders and a stronger connection with the music industry.  The current Music Hubs investment programme led by Arts Council England (ACE) is due to conclude next year, with newly competed HLOs commencing from September 2024. In relation to costs competition and legal costs to date, the department has provided funding to ACE to deliver the investment programme and, as part of this programme, ACE has spent a total of £21,000 on consultation and legal advice. The department has also sought specialist legal advice in relation to aspects of the competition, and has spent a total of £29,000.

Schools: Concrete

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools with suspected reinforced autoclave aerated concrete (RAAC) are awaiting buildings inspections to confirm the presence of RAAC as of 14 November 2023.

Damian Hinds: It is the responsibility of those who run schools - academy trusts, Local Authorities and voluntary aided school bodies - to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools and to alert the department if there is a serious concern with a building. It has always been the case that where the department is made aware that a building may pose an immediate risk, immediate action is taken.All responsible bodies were requested to complete a questionnaire. As of 14 November 2023, the department now has responses to these questionnaires for all of the schools with blocks built in the target era, of which there are 15,158.Where responsible bodies notify the department that they require a survey, it has allocated a professional surveyor to assess whether RAAC is present. The department has eight survey firms contracted to deliver technical surveys so we can rapidly confirm if RAAC is present.All schools and colleges that have advised us they suspect they might have RAAC have had a survey to confirm if RAAC is present. The vast majority of schools and colleges surveyed to date have been found to have no RAAC.

Sports: Curriculum

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that all school-aged girls have access to a range of team sports within the PE curriculum.

Damian Hinds: The government is committed to supporting all boys and girls to access sports and physical activities at school. Schools can organise and deliver a diverse and challenging PE and school sport offer which best suits the needs of their pupils. Factors influencing that decision include the spaces available for sports, along with available equipment.On 8 March 2023, the department announced over £600 million in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years for the primary PE and sport premium, and £57 million up to March 2025 for the Opening School Facilities programme. Schools can use this funding to increase their sport provision, raise overall quality of PE, and improve the opportunities for all boys and girls to access team sports. In July 2023, the department published the School Sport and Activity Action Plan, which set out the expectation for schools to provide girls and boys with the same access and opportunity to play sports in PE and wider school sport. To encourage this, the government has overseen a change to the School Games Mark, which is delivered by the Youth Sport Trust. From September 2023, schools must demonstrate how they are overcoming gender barriers faced by girls and boys in PE and wider school sport as part of their planning and delivery. To tackle the specific barriers faced by girls in accessing PE and sport, the department has invested almost £980,000 in the 'Your Time' programme. The programme has provided girls with opportunities to access competitive team sports during PE and extracurricular time. Additionally, the department plans to publish non-statutory guidance to exemplify how schools already offer equal access to PE and wider school sport. Departmental officials are currently working closely with a wide range of stakeholders, such as subject associations and other sporting bodies like the Football Association (FA) and Women in Sport, to finalise this non-statutory guidance for publication in early 2024.

Pupils: Protest

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help prevent children taking part in anti-Israel demonstrations during school times.

Damian Hinds: While the department wants all want young people to be engaged in the issues that affect them and the wider world, the government is crystal clear that missing school for political activism is unacceptable and should not be condoned. The department has been monitoring events closely and has written to all schools and local authorities supporting headteachers and teachers in taking firm action. Schools and local authorities should set clear expectations to parents on attendance, confirming that absence for this kind of activity should be treated as unauthorised. The department has been clear that school leaders and local authorities should be enforcing attendance policies, and they should take immediate action where these policies have been breached. In the most egregious cases this can mean fines or prosecution. The department has shared this communication with Ofsted to ensure all inspectors are clear on the position. This does not mean shutting down appropriate and sensitive discussions about these issues. It is important that children are taught about global events and that they are encouraged to think about how these events affect them and their communities. Schools offer children the opportunity to do that in a safe and controlled environment, but the law is clear that schools must remain politically impartial. Schools must not promote partisan political views and should ensure the balanced treatment of political issues. The department has published clear and comprehensive guidance which should help those working with and in schools to better understand legal duties on political impartiality. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/political-impartiality-in-schools.

Department for Education: Official Hospitality

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much their Department spent on hospitality in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.

Damian Hinds: The exact information requested is not readily held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Schools: Antisemitism

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to tackle anti-semitism in schools.

Damian Hinds: The government unequivocally condemns the recent terrorist attacks by Hamas and stands in solidarity with Israel in its hour of need. Antisemitism has no place in our society.The government is committed to ensuring that all schools and colleges prepare children for life in modern Britain. Every school and college should actively promote the shared values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect, and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs.The department has published guidance to support schools and colleges to monitor bullying incidents and evaluate the effectiveness of their approaches, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-and-tackling-bullying.Where behaviour extends into antisemitism or other discriminatory bullying, the department expects schools to deal with it head on, in line with their behaviour policy.My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and her Ministers visited a Jewish school to show her support and has written to school and college headteachers on 17 October 2023 to remind them of their relevant responsibilities, including the need to challenge intolerance and actively respond to discrimination, as well as outlining their duties under the Prevent programme. The department’s Educate Against Hate website provides a range of resources and support to challenge discrimination and intolerance, and how to respond where you have concerns. This is available at: https://www.educateagainsthate.com/.In the Autumn Statement, the government announced £7 million to support schools, colleges and universities to identify and tackle antisemitism. The department is preparing to issue an invitation for interested organisations to tender in due course.

Schools: Ventilation

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of ventilation in schools on (a) illness and (b) attendance levels.

Damian Hinds: The department recognises that letting fresh air into indoor spaces and ensuring they are well ventilated can help remove air that contains virus particles and is important in reducing the spread of airborne illnesses, including flu, Strep A and COVID-19.A departmental priority is to reduce overall school absence and maximise the number of children who regularly attend school. One way to help achieve this is through maintaining good ventilation which creates a healthy indoor environment for staff and students. Between September 2021 and April 2023, the department has delivered over 700,000 CO2 monitors to over 45,000 state-funded settings, including early years, further education, childminders operating in groups of four or more, and children’s homes that offer places to six or more. This means that all eligible settings now have an assigned monitor for every teaching and childcare space. The monitors enable staff to identify areas where ventilation needs to be improved and provide reassurance that existing ventilation measures are working, helping balance the need for good ventilation with keeping classrooms warm. Settings that reported high CO2 readings using their monitors were able to apply for department funded air cleaning units, where they met the criteria, to help reduce airborne transmission of illness further. The department has subsequently provided over 9,000 ACUs to over 1,300 settings to help them manage their indoor air quality while longer term remedial work is undertaken to address the underlying ventilation issue. The department has published guidance with linked resources to help settings understand the need for good ventilation, and how to make the most out of their devices. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/using-co-monitors-and-air-cleaning-units-in-education-and-care-settings.

Schools: Concrete

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what process her Department has put in place to allow schools to report concerns on temporary classroom provision due to RAAC to her Department.

Damian Hinds: Every school or college with confirmed RAAC is assigned dedicated support from the department’s team of caseworkers who will support them as required. Schools can report any concerns directly to caseworkers who will ensure these are followed up and escalated as appropriate.

Schools: Concrete

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which companies her Department has contracted to provide temporary classrooms following the publication of the guidance entitled Installing temporary buildings on school sites with RAAC, published on 31 October 2023; and what the value was of each contract.

Damian Hinds: Details of the companies contracted to provide temporary accommodation and associated services to mitigate schools’ disruption due to rebuilding, condition and refurbishment programmes are published on Contracts Finder and are available via the links below:https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/478fbd1d-62b2-4342-8f90-948cbed59150https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/9e77b767-9b17-4c34-bc73-c75249598959https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/fdda447c-e12b-4186-8bba-b626fa2a9f9d?origin=SearchResults&p=1.

Schools: Concrete

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the quality of the (a) resources and (b) temporary classrooms provided by Mitie to schools affected by RAAC.

Damian Hinds: The department takes the safety and quality of school buildings very seriously. The department has not procured temporary classrooms from Mitie. Responsible bodies may have done so and are responsible for doing so in line with guidelines. All temporary buildings must meet the requirements of the building regulations, including being signed off by a building inspector before they can be occupied. Guidance for responsible bodies on key issues to consider when procuring temporary classrooms has been developed and is available from caseworkers assigned to each project affected by RAAC.

Schools: Concrete

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children are in hybrid learning arrangements due to the presence of RAAC in their (a) school and (b) college building as of 5 December 2023.

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many hours the caseworkers assigned to schools affected by RAAC have worked; and how many of those were (a) virtual and (b) on site.

Damian Hinds: An updated list of schools and colleges with confirmed cases of RAAC was published on 6 December 2023, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-raac-management-information.As of 27 November 2023, there are 231 education settings with confirmed RAAC in some of their buildings. Thanks to the hard work of school and college leaders, 228 settings (99%) are providing full time face-to-face education for all pupils. Three settings have hybrid arrangements in place. This may involve some remote learning on some days as not all pupils can currently receive full-time face-to-face education. There are no education settings with confirmed RAAC where all pupils are in full-time remote learning. The department will allocate whatever resources are necessary to support schools and colleges to manage and remove RAAC from their buildings. Every school or college with confirmed RAAC is assigned dedicated support from our team of caseworkers who will support them as required. Project delivery teams are on site to support schools and colleges to implement mitigation plans. They will work with them to put in place a bespoke plan that supports face-to-face education for all pupils as soon as possible based on their circumstances. The department does not hold data on the number of hours worked by caseworkers virtually and on-site.

Children in Care: Contact Orders

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Education during the debate on Children in the Care System: Sibling Contact of 4 March 2020, Official Report, column 957, when her Department plans to update the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010 to include explicit reference to contact with siblings who are not looked after.

David Johnston: Schedule 2 of the Children Act 1989 mandates that local authorities should promote contact between the child and his or her relatives, where this is consistent with the child’s welfare and is reasonably practical. This includes sibling contact. However, the department agrees that there is an anomaly in the 2010 Care Planning Regulations and recognises that the honourable Member for South Shields has raised this issue in the past. In ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love’, the department committed to a review of all legislation, regulations and standards of care to ensure all children in care receive what they need. Alongside this, the department will review the 2010 care planning regulations.

Department for Business and Trade

Trade Agreements: Canada

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the likelihood of extending exports to Canada under the Trade Continuity Agreement Cheese Letters beyond 31 December 2023,.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Negotiations with Canada on this issue are ongoing. Maintaining current market access for our dairy sector is a top priority. The UK has longstanding rights to access the Canadian market through our membership at the WTO. We continue to make this clear to the Canadian government at all levels.

Trade Agreements

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will set out (a) the free trade agreements her Department is currently actively negotiating and (b) the number of FTE officials engaged in this work.

Greg Hands: This Government is currently in negotiations with eight partners – India, the Gulf Cooperation Council, Canada, Mexico, Israel, Switzerland, Greenland and the Republic of Korea. We also have plans to start negotiations with Turkey and the Maldives. With the Machine of Government, Trade Negotiation Group increased its responsibility to cover wider trade policy and FTA implementation. In October 2023, DBT had 722 staff in the Trade Policy, Implementation and Negotiations Group.

Consumer Goods: Safety

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the Office for Product Safety and Standards' timetable is for publishing the findings from the Product Safety review consultation which closed on 24 October 2023.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Office for Product Safety & Standards (OPSS) is currently analysing responses to the Product Safety Review consultation. The Government intends to publish a response next year which will summarise the findings and set out future plans.

EU Law

Tahir Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will take steps to align the UK with EU (a) standards and (b) regulations.

Kevin Hollinrake: The UK government has recently announced plans to continue recognising the EU’s CE marking indefinitely for 18 manufactured goods product regulations managed by the Department for Business and Trade. This announcement followed extensive engagement with industry. We are working closely with businesses and other stakeholders to ensure our approach to regulation supports the UK economy, industry and consumers.

Electric Vehicles

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions her Department has had with automotive manufacturers on levels of production of electric vehicles in Europe; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of those levels on uptake of electric vehicles in the UK.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) provides support for the uptake of plug-in vehicles in the UK.The UK’s automotive manufacturing sector is the second highest by value in Europe, employing 166,000 people and with an annual turnover of £70 billion. As part of the Advanced Manufacturing Plan, we have announced £2bn of new capital and R&D funding to 2030, boosting the UK’s competitiveness.Government engages closely with industry and automotive manufacturers to understand the impact of European competition and opportunities, including on consumers.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Gambling: Regulation

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans her Department has to (a) investigate and (b) regulate (i) crypto-casinos and (ii) other new and emerging forms of gambling.

Stuart Andrew: All providers of betting and gambling services in the UK must be approved and licenced by the Gambling Commission. Where crypto-assets are used, they are required to notify the Gambling Commission. No licensee has informed the Commission that they are directly accepting crypto-asset deposits.The Commission already has a range of investigatory and prosecution powers, but we are further strengthening its ability to take down criminal gambling websites though the Criminal Justice Bill.We continue to work with the Commission to consider the risks posed by novel forms of gambling or boundary pushing products.

Gambling: Advertising

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of gambling advertising on gambling harm.

Stuart Andrew: His Majesty’s Government recognises that, while millions of people gamble online without experiencing problems, for some it becomes an addiction with serious consequences. It is particularly important to take steps to protect those most at risk of problem gambling.There are robust rules in place to ensure that gambling advertising is socially responsible and cannot be targeted at or strongly appeal to children. Gambling advertising is covered by the UK Advertising Codes which are regulated by the Advertising Standards Authority, and there are also specific Gambling Commission licence conditions which regulate how gambling operators advertise. The UK Advertising Codes were further strengthened last year with new protections for children and vulnerable adults.Earlier this year, we published the white paper on gambling which outlined a comprehensive package of reforms to make gambling safer. This included measures to tackle the most aggressive and harmful advertising practices by preventing bonuses being constructed and targeted in harmful ways, giving customers more control over the marketing they receive, and introducing messaging on the risks associated with gambling.The Commission has already consulted on improving marketing consents, and we are working closely with them and others to bring the changes into force as quickly as possible.

Gambling: Internet

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to introduce age verification checks for online streams of gambling content.

Stuart Andrew: The Government recognises that it is particularly important to take steps to protect young people from online harms and is aware of issues around online streaming of gambling content. We welcome the measures which some streaming platforms have taken to ban the streaming of gambling content where it may reach underage audiences.Many online streamers of gambling content have affiliations with the gambling sites on which they play to target consumers in Great Britain and encourage them to gamble. This brings them under the current regulatory umbrella for gambling advertising. Where streams amount to advertising then they are subject to the robust rules that are in place to ensure that gambling advertising is socially responsible and cannot be targeted at or strongly appeal to children. This ensures licensees are held to account for the activities of their marketing affiliates.Further, there are robust age verification requirements in place to prevent children from creating online gambling accounts or accessing facilities to gamble themselves, even where they have seen streams. As outlined in the white paper, the measures introduced in 2019 have been effective in preventing children from being able to gamble online with either their own or invented identities.

BBC: Finance

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to formally consult (a) BBC trade union representatives and (b) the wider public on the review of the BBC funding model.

Sir John Whittingdale: The BBC Funding Review will look at how alternative models could help secure the broadcaster’s long-term sustainability amid an evolving media landscape, increased competition and changing audience behaviour, while reducing the burden on licence fee payers.We will not be running a public consultation as part of this review, as a formal public consultation will be launched as part of Charter Review itself. Charter Review is the right time for decisions on funding to be made, as only through amending the Charter and associated legislation can the BBC’s funding model be changed for the next Charter period.As part of the review, we will appoint an expert panel that incorporates a broad range of views from across the sector to support the Government throughout the review. Its role will be to provide advice and external challenge.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Official Hospitality

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much their Department spent on hospitality in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.

Sir John Whittingdale: We do not routinely publish this data, as has been the case under successive administrations. All Business Units within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have a responsibility to keep official hospitality costs as low as possible and demonstrate good value for money.Details of ministerial and senior official hospitality are published on a quarterly basis, and are available on GOV.UK.

Television: Broadcasting

Peter Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Lucy Frazer's speech to the Royal Television Society, published on 20 September 2023, if she will publish the terms of reference of her Department’s review on the future of TV distribution.

Sir John Whittingdale: As outlined by the Secretary of State in her speech to the Royal Television Society convention in September, the Department has commenced a programme of research and engagement on the future of TV distribution. This work will look at a range of themes, including changing audience viewing habits and developments in technology which are changing the way content is brought to our screens.The project will take a long-term view of the trajectory of the UK’s broadcasting landscape over the next decade and beyond. It is therefore important that we ensure the full range of considerations are taken into account. We expect to set out further detail in due course.

Video Games: Safety

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the guidance on Loot boxes in video games: update on improvements to industry-led protections, published by her Department on 18 July 2023, what steps she is taking to review the impact of these measures on protecting people from gambling harm.

Sir John Whittingdale: Following the Government response to the call for evidence on loot boxes in video games, the Government has welcomed new industry-led guidance that aims to protect young people from gambling harm.Measures to protect young people should ensure that the purchase of loot boxes should be unavailable to all children and young people unless enabled by a parent or guardian, and all players should have access to, and be aware of, spending controls and transparent information to support safe and responsible gameplay.DCMS has published a Video Games Research Framework to support high quality independent research into video games, building understanding of the impact of video games, including loot boxes.In parallel to the framework, we are now working closely with academics to ensure specific and robust evaluation of the implementation and efficacy of the new industry-led measures on loot boxes in meeting the government’s objectives. We will provide an update following a 12-month implementation period.

Ministry of Defence

Defence: Technology

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to support the development of new defence technologies.

James Cartlidge: The Ministry of Defence is investing £6.6 billion in Research and Development, working with UK industry and academia to ensure we are developing the technologies Defence needs.

Ministry of Defence: Consultants

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's Departmental Resource 2023 statistics published on 30 November 2023, for what reason his Department spent £11 million on external consultants related to finance in 2022-23.

James Cartlidge: The expenditure supported a number of initiatives in the Department requiring finance consultancy expertise, in order to deliver Defence priorities.

Ministry of Defence: Trade Promotion

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) UK and (b) overseas trade shows the Minister for Defence Procurement has attended since his appointment.

James Cartlidge: Since being appointed, I have attended a number of domestic trade shows, including the Royal International Air Tattoo, Defence Security and Exports International 2023, the counter UAS, uncrewed strategy and SME roundtable and fair at Larkhill; and four overseas trade shows in Czech Republic, UAE, Turkey, and Poland.

Armed Forces: Housing

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many military housing units are scheduled for (a) renovation and (b) replacement.

James Cartlidge: The Department has instructed improvement works to c4,000 Service Family Accommodation (SFA) this Financial Year (FY). This includes external wall insulation, door, window and roof replacements, heating upgrades, new kitchens and bathrooms, and extensive refurbishment of c1,000 long-term void SFA. This is in addition to work to treat damp and mould in c4,000 SFA.In FY 2022-23, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) purchased 310 properties to replace SFA that has either reached its predicted life expectancy and requires significant investment to meet future sustainability targets; or has been re-located to support military unit moves where the SFA in the previous location is being disposed of.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of health assessments on recruitment to the armed forces.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Pre-joining medical assessments are a core element of Armed Forces recruiting pipelines, and all candidates are subject to these to confirm their eligibility to join the Armed Forces. Some medical conditions are incompatible with safe and effective employment in the Armed Forces. For those who would otherwise be considered unfit by entry standards into the Armed Forces, an executive/personnel waiver can be considered for candidates whose skills are required. Entry Medical Employment Standards are regularly reviewed and amended to reflect the most up to date guidance for all medical conditions. Recruiting processes are being optimised to ensure that medical assessments are fully aligned with updated medical policy.

Ministry of Defence: Official Hospitality

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much their Department spent on hospitality in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.

James Cartlidge: The figures provided for Entertainment and Hospitality for financial year (FY) 2021 to FY 2023 are as follows. FY2023-24’s figures will be available once the accounts have been finalised. FY2020-211.565 millionFY2021-222.284 millionF20Y22-233.640 million

Arms Trade: Trade Promotion

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to promote the UK’s defence industry in other countries.

James Cartlidge: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 21 November 2023, to Question 1813.The Ministry of Defence works closely with colleagues in the Department of Business and Trade and the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office - and its international network - to promote UK defence industry, including through engagement by ministers and senior officials with their international counterparts.  Defence Exports (docx, 24.9KB)

Defence: Artificial Intelligence

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he is taking steps to promote the use of artificial intelligence in the UK’s defence industry.

James Cartlidge: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) works closely with the UK’s Defence industry to ensure that we have access to the cutting-edge capabilities and the systemic capacity necessary to modernise and sustain the UK Armed Forces. As set out in the Defence Command Paper Refresh (DCPR) we are exploring ways to incentivise industry to increase productivity through investment in digitisation, automation and skills, working through structures such as the Defence Suppliers Forum to encourage supply chain modernisation through the adoption of new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI). The Defence AI Strategy set out how we will adopt and exploit AI at pace and scale, including building stronger partnerships with the UK’s AI industry.

Defence: Supply Chains

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 14 of the Defence Supply Chain Strategy, published in November 2022, what steps his Department is taking to reduce silos within the defence supply chain.

James Cartlidge: As set out in the Defence Command Paper Refresh, the Department is working closely with industry through the Defence Suppliers Forum. This will positively impact future capability and requirement, improve transparency and increase supply chain resilience. These activities support breaking down silos with industry.

Ministry of Defence: ICT

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) Infrastructure and Projects Authority and (b) Senior Responsible Owner rating was of the New Style of Information Technology Deployed in (i) 2022 and (ii) 2023.

James Cartlidge: Delivery Confidence Assessments as assessed by the Senior Responsible Owner and Infrastructure and Projects Authority were released in July 2023 and can be found at: Infrastructure and Projects Authority Annual Report 2022-23 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)Where information has been withheld it is in accordance with the applied and absolute exemptions as listed the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and only after a public interest test has been undertaken.

General Dynamics: Ajax Vehicles

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has met General Dynamics to discuss the Ajax project since his appointment.

James Cartlidge: The Secretary of State has not yet had the opportunity to meet with General Dynamics but remains committed to continuing engagement with the UK defence sector.

Armed Forces: Housing

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average length of time was for military housing units to be treated for (a) mould, (b) heating and (c) external wall insulation problems after a case was raised in each year since 2019.

James Cartlidge: Information on the average length of time taken for Service Family Accommodation (SFA) to be treated for mould and heating issues can only be provided at disproportionate cost.Information on the average length of time taken to treat external wall insulation problems in SFA is not held, information is not logged as a separate category of maintenance work.

Armed Forces: Housing

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many military housing units were treated for (a) mould, (b) heating and (c) external wall insulation problems in each year since 2019.

James Cartlidge: Out of a total of c47,900 Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties, in the period 1 April 2022 to 1 December 2023: 1,359 Service Family Accommodation (SFA) have received a damp and mould treatment package. Figures not available for damp or mould only. There have been 20,800 reports of maintenance issues relating to heating in SFA properties. There are currently 1,020 live issues ranging from minor issues such as faulty radiator valves to total loss of heating (where temporary heating or alternative accommodation is provided). Data prior to the start of the Future Defence Infrastructure Services Accommodation contracts in April 2022 is not held centrally and can only be provided at disproportionate cost. The table below shows the number of SFA that have had external wall insulation installed in each complete financial year since 2019; Financial YearNo of SFA2022-239002021-221,2502020-218002019-20950

Ministry of Defence: Procurement

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to improve the (a) transparency and (b) accountability of procurement processes within his Department.

James Cartlidge: Under the Procurement Act 2023 the Ministry of Defence will be part of a step change in transparency and openness. This will include a drive for increased pre-market engagement and a single central platform for contract data which will give increased access to certain procurement information. The Act will make it easier for industry to understand defence ways of working and will allow the Department to be more accountable.

Ministry of Defence: Telecommunications

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) Infrastructure and Projects Authority and (b) Senior Responsible Owner rating was of Project Bramley in (i) 2022 and (ii) 2023.

James Cartlidge: I am withholding this information on the grounds of National Security as its disclosure would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Ministry of Defence.

Devonport Dockyard: Repairs and Maintenance

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the projected whole life costs were for the Submarine Waterfront Infrastructure Future programme in (a) 2022 and (b) 2023.

James Cartlidge: Portfolio data is published annually in support of the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) Annual Report which includes a budget baseline and the latest HM Treasury approved estimates in respect of whole life costs. The reports are published here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/major-projects-data

China: Forced Labour

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 13 of the Defence Supply Chain Strategy, published in November 2022, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the clothing inventory sourced from China is (a) ethically sourced and (b) does not include the use of forced labour in its production.

James Cartlidge: It is longstanding policy that the use of slave labour is a mandatory exclusion from contracts with the Ministry of Defence; this policy is currently captured within the Procurement Contract Regulations (2015). In line with this policy the current suppliers of clothing follow a code of practice under which cotton sourced from countries or regions at high risk of forced labour or child labour is prohibited, including the Xinjiang province of China. This is subject to regular review, and inspections of overseas suppliers are performed to ensure adherence to this policy.

Defence Equipment

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of items of stock in the inventory are categorised as spares as of 5 December 2023.

James Cartlidge: I will write to the right hon. Member in due course on this matter.

National Security: Cybersecurity

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) Infrastructure and Projects Authority and (b) Senior Responsible Owner rating was of the Joint Crypt Key Programme in (i) 2022 and (ii) 2023.

James Cartlidge: I am withholding both Infrastructure and Projects Authority and Senior Responsible Owner Delivery Confidence Assessment ratings for the Joint Crypt Key Programme as their disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces. I would however be glad to offer the right hon. Member a briefing at a higher classification.

Clyde Naval Base

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) Infrastructure and Projects Authority and ( b) Senior Responsible Owner rating was of the Clyde Infrastructure Programme in (i) 2022 and (ii) 2023.

James Cartlidge: Delivery Confidence Assessments as assessed by the Senior Responsible Owner and Infrastructure and Projects Authority were released in July 2023 and can be found at: Infrastructure and Projects Authority Annual Report 2022-23 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)Where information has been withheld it is in accordance with the applied and absolute exemptions as listed the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and only after a public interest test has been undertaken.

Ministry of Defence: Consultants

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's Departmental Resource 2023 statistics published on 30 November 2023, for what reason his Department spent £13 million on external consultants related to organisation and change management in 2022-23.

James Cartlidge: The expenditure supported a number of initiatives in the Department delivering organisational and change management, in order to support Defence priorities and deliver.

Defence Equipment

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Q32 of the oral evidence to the Public Accounts Committee of 13 November 2023, HC 66, what the monetary value is of stock marked E0 on the CRISP inventory management system.

James Cartlidge: The data to answer this question is being drawn from across multiple areas of Defence and will take longer to review and collate. I will write to the right hon. Member with a full answer as soon as the information is available.

Defence Equipment: ICT

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much stock on the CRISP inventory management system is currently marked as (a) A1 and (b) E0.

James Cartlidge: The data to answer this question is being drawn from across multiple areas of Defence and will take longer to review and collate. I will write to the right hon. Member with a full answer as soon as the information is available.

Defence Equipment

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Q4 of the oral evidence given by Vice Admiral Andy Kyte to the Committee of Public Accounts on 13 November 2023, HC 66, what the key conclusions were of the review commissioned by the Permanent Secretary of his Department.

James Cartlidge: The review commissioned by Commander UK Strategic Command (UKStratCom), concluded that the Support Function should: 1. Adjust the Defence Support Operating Model (DSOM) to 'Focus deliverables, enhance Direct';2. Defence Support and Top Level Budgets (TLBs) to more effectively collaborate on efficiencies and benefits;3. Relaunch the Support Functional narrative;4. Defence Support and DE&S to enhance constructive two-way engagement;5. Defence Support should develop a plan to measure and monitor the maturity of the Function; and6. Defence Support, UK Strategic Command and the Directorate of Sponsorship and Organisational Policy (DSOP) to strengthen the engagement between the Support Function and other Defence Functions.

Defence: Billing

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to help ensure that SMEs in the defence supply chain are paid on time.

James Cartlidge: In line with other Dovernment Departments, Defence adheres to Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 10/23 which requires bidders for major government contracts to demonstrate fair payment practices. As mentioned by the Chancellor in the Autumn statement, bidders for large government contracts will now be required to pay their own suppliers within an average of 55 days.

Armed Forces: Discharges

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to reduce the length of time between the (a) date that armed services personnel are informed by a medical board that they are unfit for service and (b) date of discharge.

James Heappey: The date that a Service person is due to be discharged is calculated on an individual basis, taking into consideration a number of factors, including entitlements to any remaining individual leave allowance, Resettlement Leave, Invaliding leave and Terminal Leave. If there are additional considerations, such as an extension to attend a recovery course, then a decision will be taken on a case-by-case basis. There are no current plans to reduce the time between the date that a Service person is informed by a medical board that they are unfit for service, and the date of their discharge.

Palestinians: Hostage Taking

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December to Question 3979 on Israel: Disclosure of Information, whether information not related to hostage rescue will be passed to authorities not involved with hostage rescue.

James Heappey: As a matter of long-standing policy, the Government does not comment on the specific detail of intelligence matters.

Afghanistan: Refugees

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2023 to Question 1789 on Afghanistan: Refugees, what the longest outstanding Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy application that has not been assessed as likely ineligible is that is awaiting assessment by his Department.

James Heappey: It is not possible to confirm the longest outstanding Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) application that is likely to be eligible, before conducting all necessary checks to confirm the applicant's eligibility.The longest outstanding ARAP applications are all complex cases. The Ministry of Defence are working at pace to resolve these cases, often alongside colleagues across Government. All cases that are found eligible are prioritised after the necessary checks have been conducted.

Ministry of Defence: Vacancies

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many advertised vacancies in his Department have not been filled in each year since 2019.

Dr Andrew Murrison: It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the right hon. Member's Question. I will write to her when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress his Department has made on delivering the Armed Forces Recruitment Programme.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Armed Forces Recruiting Programme (AFRP) completes its fourth round of Competitive Dialogue with industry bidders imminently to develop a future tri-Service recruiting solution. The transition and implementation phase will commence at Contract Award in May 2025. The Recruiting Service will commence from January 2027.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) Infrastructure and Projects Authority and ( b) Senior Responsible Owner rating was of the Armed Forces Recruiting Programme in (i) 2022 and (ii) 2023.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Delivery Confidence Assessments as assessed by the Senior Responsible Owner and Infrastructure and Projects Authority were released in July 2023 and can be found at: Infrastructure and Projects Authority Annual Report 2022-23 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Where information has been withheld it is in accordance with the applied and absolute exemptions as listed in the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and only after a public interest test has been undertaken.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Peru: Foreign Relations

Dan Carden: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his Peruvian counterpart on protections for (a) indigenous, (b) land, (c) human rights and (d) environmental activists.

David Rutley: I [Minister Rutley] visited Peru in October and held discussions with senior representatives of the Peruvian Government on a range of issues, such as the importance of protecting human rights, including those of minority and indigenous groups. The British Embassy in Lima closely monitors the situation of human rights and environmental defenders in Peru and has regular discussions with representatives of these groups. We will continue to work with the Peruvian Government and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Peru to help Peru make progress towards sustainable and inclusive development with respect for human rights.

Hamas: Hostage Taking

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what (a) diplomatic, (b) operational and (c) other steps his Department is taking to help secure the release of British citizens being held hostage in Gaza.

David Rutley: Our full sympathies are with families affected by the horrific terrorist attacks committed by Hamas. Since the attacks on 7 October, we have worked tirelessly to support the British people affected. Intensive diplomatic efforts are ongoing with the Qataris, Israelis and others to secure the release of all hostages. We will keep working until all the hostages are freed and returned to their families. We are not commenting on individual cases. The Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have met with the family members of hostages to directly hear their concerns both in Israel and in the UK and will continue to do so.

Occupied Territories: Humanitarian Aid

Dan Carden: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the statement by the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory published on 4 December 2023.

David Rutley: We welcomed the recent pauses in fighting as an opportunity to get hostages out and we will continue to get aid into Gaza on a sustained basis now that the truce has ended. The Foreign Secretary has announced £60 million of British aid in addition to our planned financial assistance, which means vital supplies can enter Gaza and reach those who have suffered there so much. Alleviating the suffering is our top priority, and the uplift in funding will triple the UK's existing aid budget for the Occupied Palestinian Territories this financial year. To date the UK has delivered 74 tonnes of aid but there is still more to do, the number of casualties are too high and we are calling on Hamas to release each and every hostage they have kidnapped. We continue to press both at the UN and directly with Israel for unhindered humanitarian access and substantive, repeated humanitarian pauses that allow aid to enter and British nationals to leave.

Guyana: Venezuela

Henry Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2023 to Question 2552 on Guyana: Venezuela, what recent discussions he has held with his counterparts in Guyana on the border dispute with Venezuela.

David Rutley: On 30 November, the Foreign Secretary discussed Venezuela's steps with respect to the region of Essequibo in Guyana with President Ali of Guyana.We believe the unilateral actions of Venezuela are unjustified and should cease.The UK is clear that the border was settled in 1899 through international arbitration.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Official Hospitality

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, how much their Department spent on hospitality in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.

David Rutley: We do not routinely publish this data, as has been the case under successive administrations. All Business Units within the FCDO have a responsibility to keep official hospitality costs as low as possible and demonstrate good value for money.Details of ministerial and senior official hospitality are published on a quarterly basis, and are available on GOV.UK.

Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

Dan Carden: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the statement by Medical Aid for Palestinians on the impact of Israel's military offensive actions and siege on people in Gaza, published on 4 December 2023.

David Rutley: We recognise that the flow of aid into and through Gaza continues to be insufficient and we are urgently exploring all diplomatic options to increase this, including urging Israel to open other existing land border crossings such as Kerem Shalom. Fuel remains a critical component and without sufficient aid, fuel cannot be distributed by humanitarian organisations and hospitals, bakeries as well as desalination plants cannot operate. We are also actively exploring other routes for aid to get into Gaza. The UK Government has already announced £60 million in humanitarian funding and has sent more than 74 tonnes of emergency relief for civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Hamas: Hostage Taking

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what information his Department holds on the number of (a) British, (b) British born and (c) British dual nationals who were kidnapped in Israel on 7 October 2023.

David Rutley: We have been working with partners across the region to secure the release of all hostages, including British nationals. We are providing consular assistance to the families of British national hostages. Due to the sensitive nature of these cases, we do not provide further details.

Peru: Indigenous Peoples

Alex Sobel: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will take steps to help support (a) the claim of the Kichwa people for the return of indigenous lands and (b) authorities with the investigation of the murder of Quinto Inuma in Peru.

David Rutley: The UK Government is aware of the challenges faced by indigenous people in the Peruvian Amazon, and their supporters. We monitor the threats that indigenous people face from groups linked to serious and organised crime, as well as the actions of the Peruvian Government to protect these communities. I [Minister Rutley] was saddened to hear of the tragic murder of Quinto Inuma Alvarado - whom I met recently in Peru and who spoke so passionately about protecting the Amazon. His death underlines the urgent need to protect environmental defenders; the UK stands ready to support the Peruvian authorities with efforts to do so.

Algeria: Migrant Camps

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to UN Security Council resolution 2703, adopted on 30 October 2023, whether his Department plans to take steps to help ensure that UNHCR is able to undertake unrestricted census activities in the Tindouf camps in Algeria.

David Rutley: The UK supported United Nations Security Council Resolution 2703 on 30 October, which renewed the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) mandate for 12 months. The UK supports UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, and supports the work of Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General. The UK welcomes the recent efforts of all concerned to engage with the Envoy and to facilitate his recent visit to Western Sahara. We will continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process.

Western Sahara: Conflict Resolution

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of Morocco’s position on finding a lasting political solution to the conflict over Western Sahara.

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his Algerian counterpart on the participation of that country in the negotiation process on the Western Sahara conflict.

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what diplomatic steps his Department it taking to help persuade Algeria to re-engage in the negotiation process on the Western Sahara conflict.

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make a comparative assessment of the effectiveness of the steps taken by (a) his Department, (b) the US, (c) France, (d) Germany, (e) Spain and (f) other countries to help resolve the Western Sahara conflict.

David Rutley: The UK continues to support UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, and supports the work of Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General. Officials regularly discuss and consult on Western Sahara with international partners, MINURSO (United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara), the UN, NGOs, and CSOs, up to and including at Ambassadorial level by His Majesty's Ambassadors to Rabat and Algiers, and at Permanent and Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN-level. We will continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process, and monitor progress.

Hamas: Israel

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what estimate his Department has made of the number of (a) British, (b) British born and (c) dual nationals who were killed in the terrorist attacks in Israel on 7 October 2023.

David Rutley: The Foreign Commonwealth and Development office have been informed of the deaths of 15 British nationals killed in the terrorist attacks in Israel on 7 October 2023.

Israel and Occupied Territories: Arms Trade

Dan Carden: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2023 to Question 2956 on Israel and Occupied Territories: Weapons, how many applications for export licences his Department has assessed in relation to the situation in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank since 7 October 2023.

David Rutley: I refer the honourable Member to the answer given on 29 November 2023 to Question 2956, the answer can be found on the Q&A web pages on https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2023-11-21/2956The Department for Business and Trade will publish licensing statistics, including for Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in line with their usual process.

Climate Change: Finance

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking to help deliver the Government's commitment in the Glasgow Climate Pact to double adaptation finance by 2025.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is delivering on its commitment to spend £11.6 billion on International Climate Finance (ICF). At COP27, the Prime Minister announced that we will triple funding for climate adaptation from £500 million in 2019 to £1.5 billion in 2025. We are working with developed countries and multilateral donors to raise ambition on adaptation finance in order to meet the collective goal to double adaptation finance by 2025.

Rwanda: Asylum

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the potential use of the Official Development Assistance budget to fund the Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The funding for the Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda is not from the Official Development Assistance budget. The Migration and Economic Development Partnership is not ODA eligible as per the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) rules.

Hong Kong: International Economic Relations

Neil Coyle: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what his Department's policy is on whether Hong Kong should be represented at international economic organisations in the context of its changed status within China.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: As noted by the former Foreign Secretary in the latest Six-Monthly Report Hong Kong, Hong Kong's economic, monetary and financial systems remain distinct and robust from the mainland. The Sino-British Joint Declaration states that Hong Kong "may participate in relevant international organisations and international trade agreements… such as the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade". However, Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China and the Chinese government is responsible for its decisions on representation at state level to international organisations.

Nigeria: Security

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies in support of security in Nigeria of the killings of civilians in Tudun Biri in Kaduna state of Nigeria on 3 December 2023.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK acknowledges the tragic deaths of civilians in Tudun Biri in Kaduna State on 3 December 2023. We welcome President Tinubu's commitment to launch an investigation into the incident. Through the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership, we are committed to supporting efforts to tackle insecurity and secure a safe and prosperous Nigeria. The UK's engagement with Nigeria's security forces emphasises the importance of human security and civil-military coordination on operations. UK support for building Nigeria's defence capacity routinely includes training on international humanitarian law and protection of civilians.

Zambia: Debts

Dan Carden: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of Zambia's debt situation.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is committed to supporting Zambia's economic recovery. We welcome the deal between the Government of Zambia and the Official Creditor Committee, which represents significant progress in Zambia's path to debt sustainability. While the Common Framework for debt treatment has been a major step forward, it has taken too long for Zambia to get to this point. That is why in the recently published International Development White Paper, the UK government has committed to working to strengthen the international debt architecture to enhance its co-ordination, predictability and timeliness.

Sri Lanka: Water Supply

Catherine West: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterpart in Sri Lanka on water quality in the north of that country.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK Government is aware of the challenges Sri Lanka faces around water management and quality, and the unique challenges faced by communities in the Northern Province. Officials from the British High Commission Colombo regularly visit the Northern Province to meet a range of stakeholders to hear their experiences and issues. A number of public bodies in Sri Lanka, including the National Water Supply and Drainage Board, have conducted tests into the water quality. The UK Government supports the International Water Management Institute, an international water management research organisation, to provide solutions to increasing water scarcity in Puttalam and Kilinochchi.

Argentina: Lithium

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his Argentinian counterpart on lithium supply to the UK.

David Rutley: Securing a sustainable supply of lithium globally is crucial to delivering Net Zero. Cooperation on lithium therefore forms an important part of our engagement with Argentina. During my visit to Argentina in February, I (Minister Rutley) discussed the UK's role as a key scientific, academic, and economic partner in lithium exploration in meetings with the then Argentine Vice-Foreign Minister, building on exchanges at senior official and expert level. We look forward to working with the Milei government on the many areas in which our countries stand to gain through cooperation, including the global supply of lithium.

Ministry of Justice

Domestic Abuse: Sentencing

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the Sentencing Council's overarching guideline on domestic abuse.

Gareth Bacon: The Sentencing Council’s Overarching Principles: Domestic Abuse guideline, which came into force in May 2018, identifies the principles relevant to the sentencing of cases involving domestic abuse.The Sentencing Council is independent of Parliament and Government. It is responsible for the production and revision of sentencing guidelines, which the courts must follow, unless it would be contrary to the interest of justice. The Council regularly monitors and evaluates all definitive guidelines, and its assessment covers their operation and effect. The Council is planning to review this guideline in 2024.

Young Offender Institutions

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average number of hours spent out of their cell by inmates on (a) weekdays and (b) weekend days was in each young offender institution in November 2023.

Edward Argar: The information currently available about time out of room during November 2023 covers the period1-26 November. It is shown in the table below.   Cookham WoodFelthamParcWerringtonWetherbyWeekdays02:5904:3710:3204:3705:50Weekends02:1002:5708:3002:4603:45Overall02:4404:0609:5504:0305:12   We recognise the importance of ensuring that time in custody is purposeful, and are committed to ensuring that children and young people have the necessary and appropriate access to education, skills, and work provision with a consistent daily programme of activities.  We have commissioned a resource review to explore opportunities to make better use of the staff available in the current operating environment (including the balance between management and frontline supervisory staff), whilst continuing to provide education and enrichment for those who cannot be safely accommodated in a classroom setting. It is our expectation that this will lead to an improvement in delivery and a more stable daily timetable for children and young people in our care.

Secure Schools

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department's Review of the Youth Justice System in England and Wales, published in December 2016, what progress his Department has made on the implementation of the recommendations on secure schools.

Edward Argar: Our first secure school is on course to open by Spring 2024. The provider, Oasis Restore Charitable Trust, is continuing to develop the integrated education, health, and operating model for the secure school, including its safeguarding practices. It will continue to engage with Ofsted and other key stakeholders throughout this process. Secure schools are a new, innovative approach, and it is important that we take the time to get it right. We will be scoping options for further schools, and learning from the experience of the first school will inform this.

Young Offender Institutions: Children

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the number of family visits received by children in the secure estate.

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many children in custody received no family visits in the last month for which figures are available.

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average number of video calls per child using the Purple Visits app was in each institution in the youth secure estate in the last month.

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average number of family visits received per child was in each institution in the youth secure estate in the last month.

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the average number of family visits per child in each institution in the youth secure estate in the last month.

Edward Argar: Support from their families is central to helping the children in our care to move forward in their lives. We recognise the positive impact it has on safety, resettlement and the prevention of re-offending. The Youth Custody Service recently undertook an internal review to examine how we can improve family contact. The action plan that has been drawn up to implement its recommendations will enable us to continue to drive forward change, and to measure improvement in this area.Data relating to the number of family visits and video calls received by children in custody is not held centrally, and could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.

Wandsworth Prison: Health Services

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his planned timetable is for the completion of the new medical centre at HMP Wandsworth.

Edward Argar: Construction of the new healthcare facility at HMP Wandsworth is now completed and it will be ready to open from 22 December 2023.

Youth Custody

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of young people held in the secure estate are on remand as of 5 December 2023.

Edward Argar: Data on the number of children held on remand is published regularly as part of the Youth custody data release with the legal basis for custody provided in table 1.6. The most recently published information confirms that as of 31 October 2023 out of total of 597 children and young people who were held in custody there were 241 (40%) on remand. It should be noted that the figures for October 2023 are provisional and will be finalised in next month’s release. The number on remand represents individual’s most precedent legal basis at the time and includes those awaiting sentence as well as individuals how have yet to be tried. My department produced a review last year about the use of custodial remand for children. We recently finished consulting on how we can change the funding we provide annually to local authorities in relation to children on remand, and will be responding to that in the spring. Youth Custody Data can be found via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/youth-custody-data.

Wetherby Young Offender Institution: Females

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many girls have been placed at the Wetherby and Keppel Young Offender Institution in the last 12 months.

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many girls are in custody; and how many and what proportion of these girls are in youth offender institutions.

Edward Argar: During the period December 2022 to November 2023, seven girls in total were accommodated in the Keppel Unit at HMYOI Wetherby. Data on the number of girls held in custody is published regularly as part of the Youth custody data release with the sex of those held in custody provided in table 1.3. The most recently published information confirms that as of 31 October 2023 five girls were accommodated in the Youth Secure Estate. It is not possible to disclose how many of these girls were residing in a young offender institution without risking identification of individuals. The following link provides more detailed information relating to the population of children and young people in secure children’s homes, secure training centres and young offender institutions: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/youth-custody-data.

Young Offender Institutions: Isolation

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many young people were held in segregation for more than seven days in each of the young offender institutions in England and Wales during the last year.

Edward Argar: Segregation is not used within the Youth Secure Estate. Children and young people are only temporarily separated from their peers as a very last resort. When this happens, they receive extra support from specially trained staff. Training is being escalated for every frontline officer, backed by £5 million of funding to improve care and support. Children and young people are never separated as a punishment. The following table shows how many children and young people were separated for more than seven days in each of the young offender institutions in England and Wales during the period 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023.EstablishmentSeparationsCookham Wood125Feltham62Parc30Werrington64Wetherby162 Notes: Figures include any period of separation of more than seven days that began before, and ended after, 1 April 2022, Any period of separation beginning within five days of a previous period of separation is counted as a single period of separation. Cases of self-separation, where children or young people have chosen to separate themselves, are not included.

Women and Equalities

Conversion Therapy

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, when she plans to publish the responses to her Department's consultation on banning conversion therapy.

Stuart Andrew: The Government remains absolutely committed to taking action to tackle abhorrent conversion 'therapy' practices. These acts are aimed at changing someone else's identity, whether that be to or from being LGBT, and have no place in UK society.Equality Ministers and officials have been carefully considering the issue, including all of the responses we received to our public consultation. This is to ensure any action we take is robust, measured and avoids any unintended consequences on parents, clinicians, teachers or religious groups.A draft Bill setting out our approach will be published for pre-legislative scrutiny by a joint Committee of both Houses in the new year, alongside the Government’s response to the consultation.

Disability: Transport

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether the Government is taking steps to help mitigate the potential impact of its policies on encouraging a modal shift in transport choices on disabled people who are dependent on cars.

Maria Caulfield: The Government wants disabled people to travel easily and confidentlyThe October ‘Plan for Drivers’ outlined how government is working to improve the driving experience for everyoneDfT’s strategic priorities for improving access for disabled people were set out in the 2018 Inclusive Transport StrategyIn the PM’s ‘Network North’ announcement, £350m was made available for Access for All rail schemes in the five years from 2024/25, in addition to the £900m committed since 2006.

Immigration: Detainees

Richard Fuller: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the use of immigration detention for vulnerable women.

Laura Farris: Under Home Office detention policy, people will only be detained for a reasonable period.The dignity and welfare of detained individuals is of the utmost importance and we have policies and procedures in place to safeguard vulnerable people.Where detention is necessary, we take into account any vulnerability concerns, and ensure that appropriate support is provided.

Employment: Disability

Amy Callaghan: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government is taking to support disabled people in the workplace.

Mims Davies: The Government has a range of initiatives to support disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work, which was recently expanded at Autumn Statement.This includes Universal Support, WorkWell pilots, Disability Confident, Disability Employment advisors, reforming the fit note process, and establishing an expert group on Occupational Health.

Pensions: Gender

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she has had recent discussions with Cabinet colleagues on reducing the gender pension gap.

Mims Davies: On the 5th June, this year, DWP published an official measure of the Gender Pensions Gap. The Government has committed to annual reporting on this measure, which will help track efforts of government, industry, and employers to close the Gender Pensions Gap and ensure women can look forward to the retirements they’ve worked so hard for.

Equality: Impact Assessments

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether the Government has undertaken an equality impact assessment of the Autumn Statement 2023.

Nigel Huddleston: In developing proposals for the Autumn Statement, the Treasury took care to consider the equality impacts on those sharing protected characteristics, in line with its statutory obligations and strong commitment to promoting fairness.Providing increased opportunities for everyone, including the most vulnerable in society, has been at the centre of the decisions taken at Autumn Statement 2023.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Domestic Waste: Recycling

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the Simpler Recycling policy takes into account the expectations of consumers about what happens to items they send for recycling.

Robbie Moore: In October 2020, we amended the Environmental (England and Wales) Permitting Regulations 2016 to include a permit condition for landfill and incineration operators, meaning they cannot accept separately collected paper, metal, glass or plastic for landfill or incineration unless it has gone through some form of treatment process first and is the best environmental outcome. Under the Environment Act 2021, recyclable household waste must be collected separately from other household waste and must be collected for recycling or composting.

Dangerous Dogs

Dr Neil Hudson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will extend the neutering deadline for exempted XL bully dogs that are under seven months on 31st January 2024 to 30 June 2025.

Mark Spencer: Owners of XL Bully type dogs who want to keep their dogs after the end of the transition period should apply to Defra for a Certificate of Exemption before the 31 January. Owners must arrange for their dogs to be neutered by set deadlines for this Certificate to remain valid. We took the health and welfare implications of neutering at a young age into account and therefore set a neutering deadline of 31 December 2024 for dogs that are aged less than one year old on the 31 January 2024.

Domestic Waste: Recycling

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to publish additional statutory guidance for local authorities on the sorting of materials collected from households.

Robbie Moore: We recently consulted on the content of the statutory guidance for Simpler Recycling. We will publish our final statutory guidance once the regulations relating to Simpler Recycling have been made.

Domestic Waste: Recycling

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact on recycling rates of mandating the sorting of co-mingled materials collected from households under the Simpler Recycling policy.

Robbie Moore: As part of Simpler Recycling, we have consulted on the provision of an exemption to allow local authorities and waste collectors in England to co-collect two or more dry recyclable waste streams in the same container, and to co-collect food and garden waste together in one container, without the need for written assessment. This consultation is now closed and we are analysing the responses and feedback from stakeholders gathered through this process. We will be communicating the outcome of the consultation in due course.

Water Charges: Social Tariffs

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of older people who (a) are eligible for and (b) receive a social tariff from water companies as of 5 December 2023.

Robbie Moore: We are committed to a water sector that delivers for customers, the environment and wider society. We recognise that some households and vulnerable groups may struggle to pay their water bill in full and as such, continue to work with industry and consumer groups to explore options to improve arrangements focussing on improving consistency and fairness across social tariff schemes. In addition to social tariff schemes, we know that there are many older people supported through the statutory scheme WaterSure, which assists over 220,000 households. We expect all water companies to make sure households are aware of the schemes and measures available to help those struggling to pay their bills and do everything they can to support all customers who are vulnerable, including having regard to the interests of individuals of pensionable age.

Railways: Air Pollution

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport on the potential impact of railway electrification in Wales on air pollution.

Robbie Moore: The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential.

Treasury

Personal Savings: Interest Rates

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will hold discussions with major banks on interest rates on savings accounts compared to other financial institutions.

Bim Afolami: The Chancellor has made clear his expectation that savers benefit from higher interest rates, and earlier this year he secured agreement from the FCA to review the savings market. The review was published in July and set out 14 actions for the FCA and firms to take to ensure customers were not losing out on higher interest rates. The FCA recently shared an update on this work to acknowledge improvements in the market, meaning that more savers are now benefiting from higher interest rates. It also reaffirmed its commitment to continue working with industry to ensure savers are receiving fair value. This includes working with banks and building societies to review the fair value assessments they have already submitted The retail savings market currently offers a range of options to savers, who can now access the highest rates in recent years on a variety of instant access and fixed-term products.

Banks: British Overseas Territories

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has provided guidance to UK banks on their ability to provide services to overseas territories.

Bim Afolami: The provision of UK banking services overseas is a commercial decision for firms based on a variety of factors, including the local law and regulation of individual countries, an assessment of profitability or other commercial drivers. The Government does not intervene in these commercial decisions.

Treasury: Employment Tribunals

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many employment tribunals were brought by employees of their Department in the last 12 months.

Gareth Davies: Employment Tribunals are the judicial body with responsibility for workplace justice, being the main forum for deciding disputes between workers and employers.There is no central Civil Service Policy on Employment Tribunals. Employment Tribunals are administered by HM Courts & Tribunals Service and as such guidance is provided by HMCTS. Details of all employment tribunal decision outcomes are available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/employment-tribunal-decisions.

Credit: Debts

Martyn Day: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of increases in the number of adults using buy now pay later products on levels of unmanageable debt.

Bim Afolami: HM Treasury regularly monitors the consumer credit market as part of its normal process of policy development. The department draws on the research of various stakeholders, including consumer groups and the wider financial services industry, to inform policy development.

Pensions: Gibraltar

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to permit protected cell companies to insure defined benefit pension plans in the United Kingdom to match the regulations in Gibraltar.

Bim Afolami: The Government keeps all legislation under review and actively seeks to learn from international jurisdictions. However, there are currently no plans to allow protected cell companies to insure defined benefit pension plans in the UK.

Monetary Policy

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his (a) letter to the Governor of the Bank of England on the remit and responsibilities of the Financial Policy Committee, dated 22 November 2023 and (b) correspondence entitled Financial Policy Committee Remit and Recommendations: Autumn Statement 2022, published on 17 November 2022, for what reason his letter dated 22 November 2023 did not include climate change and energy security in his four priorities for the Committee.

Bim Afolami: The Chancellor of the Exchequer is responsible for setting the Remit for the Financial Policy Committee (FPC) once per year, and may also make recommendations regarding matters the FPC should consider as relevant to its primary financial stability objective and its secondary objective to support the Government’s economic policy. The FPC's remit is an important accountability mechanism to ensure the Committee has a clear framework through which it can make policy decisions and consider any trade-offs. This is important given the complexity of the FPC’s work. Yearly updates to the Remit ensure that it reflects the current economic context, the Government’s policy, as well as the FPC’s responsibilities and powers. Climate change is stated clearly as an important part of the FPC's remit: both due to the relevance of climate related risks to the Committee’s primary financial stability objective, and because increasing long-term energy security and delivering Net Zero is set out as a key component of the government's economic policy. The Committee has a secondary objective to support the Government's economic policy.

Cash Dispensing: Portsmouth

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department is taking steps to maintain the provision of free-to-use ATMs in Portsmouth South constituency.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to prevent financial exclusion for people reliant on access to cash.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the level of the interchange fee set by LINK to help ensure that there is no cost to customers for using ATMs.

Bim Afolami: The government recognises that cash continues to be used by millions of people across the UK, including those who may be in vulnerable groups or who are reliant on cash as a payment method. The government legislated through the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 to establish a new legislative framework to protect free access to cash. This establishes the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as the lead regulator for access to cash and provides it with responsibility and powers to seek to ensure reasonable provision of free cash withdrawal and deposit facilities. This will help prevent financial exclusion for those who are reliant on access to cash. The government published a policy statement earlier this year. This stated that consideration should be taken of the degree to which services meet local needs in relation to both business and personal use. The government’s policy statement is available at: Cash Access Policy Statement. The FCA is currently holding a consultation on its proposed regulatory approach, ahead of this coming into effect by Q3 2024: https://www.fca.org.uk/publications/consultation-papers/cp23-29-access-cash

Capital Gains Tax: Income Tax

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the tax on (a) capital gains and (b) dividends to the same rate as income tax.

Nigel Huddleston: The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK tax system encourages investment whilst also taxing income from capital sources like dividends and Capital Gains fairly. As set out in the Government’s response to the Office of Tax Simplification's report on Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on 30 November 2021, substantial reforms to CGT rates and allowances would involve a number of wider policy trade-offs and so careful thought must be given to the impact that they would have on taxpayers, as well as any additional administrative burden on HMRC. The Government keep all aspects of the tax system under review to ensure it is simple and efficient.

Pay

Geraint Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people earn an annual salary less than £38,700 in each English constituency.

Nigel Huddleston: HMRC does not publish this information. Statistics on employment income are published annually as part of the Survey of Personal Incomes. Outturn data for the tax year 2020 to 2021 is the latest available.

Schools: Uniforms

Neil Coyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of removing VAT on all school uniform items.

Nigel Huddleston: Under the current VAT rules, all children’s clothing and footwear designed for young children who are less than 14 years of age, including school uniforms, attract a zero-rate of VAT, meaning that no VAT is charged on the sale of these items. Additionally, certain school uniform items may also benefit from a zero rate of VAT irrespective of size. For instance, garments which bear a prominent logo, crest or badge identifying them as part of the official uniform of schools catering exclusively for children under 14 years of age can be zero-rated. Going further would impose additional pressure on the public finances, to which VAT makes a significant contribution. Whilst we have no current plans to extend the existing zero rate, we nevertheless keep all taxes under review.

Clubs

Sarah Owen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information his Department holds on the number of private members clubs.

Nigel Huddleston: The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) publish data within its official statistics.You can view the data on row 198 here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64674a0f62837100123a88ac/NDR_Stock_SCat_2023.xlsx

Attorney General

Attorney General: Official Hospitality

Jon Trickett: To ask the Attorney General, how much their Department spent on hospitality in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.

Robert Courts: We do not routinely publish this data, as has been the case under successive administrations.All Business Units within the Attorney General's Office (AGO) have a responsibility to keep official hospitality costs as low as possible and demonstrate good value for money. Details of ministerial and senior official hospitality are published on a quarterly basis and are available on GOV.UK.

Home Office

Migrant Workers: Visas

Alyn Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Department's news story entitled Home Secretary unveils plan to cut net migration, published on 4 December 2023, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the planned increase in the earning threshold for overseas workers on (a) people whose existing work visas do not meet the threshold and (b) international students moving from graduate visas to work visas that do not meet the threshold.

Alyn Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Department's news story entitled Home Secretary unveils plan to cut net migration, published on 4 December 2023, whether he plans to introduce transitional protection measures for people whose existing visas do not meet the new threshold and require renewal after the increased threshold is introduced.

Tom Pursglove: The Government will provide further details on what transitional arrangements will apply in due course.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many flights his Department (a) has chartered and (b) plans to charter to transport Afghan refugees from Pakistan since October for (i) each month in 2023 and (ii) the first three months of 2024; what estimate he has made of the total number of flights that will be chartered in total; and whether the total number of flights will be calculated on the number of Afghan refugees currently receiving UK Government support in Pakistan.

Tom Pursglove: Resettlement of eligible Afghans remains a top priority for this Government. The latest published Immigration system statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) show that at the end of September 2023, around 24,600 vulnerable people affected by the events in Afghanistan have been brought to safety so far. The UK Government and our partners will arrange and fund travel for those accepted under our Afghan schemes as part of the resettlement and relocation process. Depending on the individual circumstances, this may be via charter or commercial flights. Flights for those being resettled under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) are organised by the International Organisation for Migration, in line with requests from the Home Office. As flights are operational you will appreciate that we cannot go into more detail about them. We will continue to honour our commitment to bring eligible Afghans to the UK, with new arrivals going directly into settled accommodation where possible.

Bicycles and Electric Scooters: Fire Prevention

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent fires caused by (a) e-bikes, (b) conversion kits and (c) e-scooters.

Chris Philp: The Home Office is promoting fire safety messages, through its Fire Kills campaign, to educate consumers on safe charging and storage of e-bikes and e-scooters in the home and to recommend that only professionals carry out conversions.The advice, also published on FireEngland.uk, supports that issued by London Fire Brigade’s #ChargeSafe campaign. The Home Office has made these materials available to fire and rescue services to use in their local fire prevention activity.

Home Office: Official Hospitality

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much their Department spent on hospitality in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.

Chris Philp: We do not routinely publish this data, as has been the case under successive administrations.All Business Units within the Home Department have a responsibility to keep official hospitality costs as low as possible and demonstrate good value for money.Details of ministerial and senior official hospitality are published on a quarterly basis and are available on GOV.UK.

Social Media: Israel and Palestinians

Kim Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people are being investigated for social media posts supporting (a) Palestine and (b) Israel.

Chris Philp: The Home Office does not collect this data.However, ministers expect police forces to investigate, without fear or favour, social media posts linked to recent events in Israel and Gaza which may cross the criminal threshold.

Visas

Sam Tarry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Oral Statement of 4 December 2023, official report, column 41, what his timescale is for issuing guidance on changes to visa requirements to UK Visas and Immigration staff.

Tom Pursglove: The changes announced by the Home Secretary will be introduced in the spring and internal guidance will be issued to UK Visas and Immigration staff in due course.

Police: Rural Areas

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether police officers in rural areas have access to training on tackling rural crime.

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of police vehicles in rural police forces.

Chris Philp: The Government recognises there can be particular challenges in responding to rural crime. The Government welcomed the rural and wildlife crime strategy published by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) in September 2022.In June 2023 the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs launched the Unleashing Rural Opportunity, setting out four broad priorities that are key to rural communities being able to thrive. As part of this, the Home Office has provided £200,000 to help establish the National Rural Crime Unit. The NRCU supports forces nationally in their responses to rural crime, such as the theft of farming or construction machinery, livestock theft, rural fly tipping, rural fuel theft and equine crime. In collaboration with the NRCU, the Combined Industry Thefts Solution has provided training to nearly 600 police officers, covering skills in how to identify and examine stolen agricultural and construction machinery, and knowledge about the methods of theft.The Government supported the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023, which gained Royal Assent on 20 July. The Act will require immobilisers and forensic marking to be fitted as standard to new agricultural equipment such as All-Terrain Vehicles and quad bikes, to help prevent theft of this equipment and identify the owners of stolen equipment when it is recovered.Operational decisions such as allocation of vehicles are matter for individual police chiefs and their force.

British National (Overseas): Pensions

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if his Department will provide a formalised commitment to apply for British citizenship on behalf of Hong Kongers on the British National (Overseas) visa scheme to present to (a) HSBC and (b) other UK-based pension providers in the event that they are denied access to their pensions.

Tom Pursglove: The UK firmly opposes the discrimination that British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) status holders are facing in applying for early withdrawal of their pension funds held by the Mandatory Provident Fund in Hong Kong. We have urged the Hong Kong authorities to facilitate the early drawdown of funds as is the case for other Hong Kong residents who move overseas permanently and will continue to do so. After five years in the UK, those on the BN(O) route can apply for settlement, and after a further 12 months, they can apply for full UK citizenship. The Home Office does not have any plans to change the way we grant citizenship to those on the BN(O) route.

Visas: China

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average waiting time is for an appointment at a UK Visa Application Centre in China.

Tom Pursglove: The average waiting time for an appointment at a UK Visa Application Centre in China was three days throughout November 2023.

Text Messaging: Fraud

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to tackle SMS text scams.

Tom Tugendhat: Under the Telecommunications Charter, the sector has introduced firewalls that detect and stop scam texts from reaching customers. The firewalls have stopped 800 million scam text messages since January 2022.Following consultation, we have introduced a new offence in the Criminal Justice Bill for the supply and possession of SIM farms, technical devices that allow criminals to send scam texts to thousands of people.

Department for Work and Pensions

Families: Government Assistance

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of families receive (a) any state support, (b) tax credits, (c) an income-related benefit and (d) an non-income related benefit by nationality.

Jo Churchill: The information requested is not held by the Department.

Disability: Benefits Rules

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Government's response to the Work Capability Assessment: activities and descriptors consultation, what estimate he has made of the proportion of consultation responses that were in favour of any of the proposals.

Mims Davies: We carefully considered the Work Capability Assessment consultation responses and feedback from our public events and engagement. We received over 1,300 written responses, including from disabled people and people with health conditions, as well as the organisations that represent and support them.We do not have an estimate of the proportion that were in favour of any of the proposals.

Employment Schemes

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he is taking steps to monitor the adequacy of claimant reviews conducted by work coaches in relation to the Back to Work plan.

Jo Churchill: The Claimant Commitment review meetings are currently in development and will be for those claimants who are still unemployed after the 12-month Restart programme.

Unemployed People

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential barriers to work faced by people who are (a) affected by the two-child limit and (b) not in employment.

Jo Churchill: No such assessment has been made. However, we are aware that many claimants have barriers that prevent them from taking up employment. For this reason, our Work Coaches are available to give tailored support for claimants to help them to access skills and training opportunities, and career advice.

Universal Credit: Children

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many children were living in households (a) in receipt of Universal Credit and (b) subject to deductions in each parliamentary constituency in the most recent month for which data is available; what the (i) total and (ii) average sum of Universal Credit deductions was for households with children in each constituency; and what proportion of those sums was deducted to repay advance payments.

Jo Churchill: The requested information is provided in the separate spreadsheet and are subject to the following caveats: 1. For low level geography: volumes have been rounded to the nearest 100, total amounts have been rounded to the nearest £1,000 and average amounts have been rounded to the nearest £1. For totals at GB level: volumes have been rounded to the nearest 100,000, total amounts have been rounded to the nearest £1,000,000 and average amount has been rounded to the nearest £1. Proportions have been rounded to the nearest percentage point.2. The sum of individual low level geographies may not sum to the total figure due to rounding.3. Deductions include advance repayments, third party deductions and all other deductions, but exclude sanctions and fraud penalties which are reductions of benefit rather than deductions.4. Children are defined here as being people who are declared as living in the same household as the UC claimant(s) and who are under the age of 20. The number of children may not be equal to the number of dependent children in the household who are eligible for child element for various reasons. This includes children over the age of 16 in non-advanced full-time education, looked-after children and, other young people living in multigenerational households whose parents are not the claimant. Those affected by the policy to provide support for a maximum of two children may also have a larger number of children compared to the number of children entitled to the child element in their household.5. Figures are provisional and are subject to retrospective change as later data becomes available.6. The ‘unknown' parliamentary constituency equates to 0.4% of all households and relates to households for which a constituency could not be determined due to incomplete postcode information.7. Data for August 2023 has been provided in line with the latest available UC Household Statistics.8. Claim numbers and numbers of children on UC will not match official statistics caseloads due to methodological differences. Spreadsheet (xlsx, 155.0KB)

Social Security Benefits: Children

Mary Kelly Foy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, by what metrics his Department assesses the effectiveness of the two-child limit in meeting its policy objectives.

Jo Churchill: No such assessment has been made.

Department for Work and Pensions: Training

Hannah Bardell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether staff in his Department are provided training on trauma (a) awareness and (b) prevention procedures.

Paul Maynard: The DWP is committed to becoming a more Trauma Informed organisation. We have a dedicated programme which will integrate the six key pillars of the approach as defined by the Office for Health Improvements and Disparities (December, 2022) which are safety, trustworthiness, choice, empowerment, collaboration and cultural consideration. Our programme looks at these six pillars within the contexts of application to our colleagues, our customers, our culture, and the context of our interaction- whether that is a physical, telephony, digital or postal interaction. There is significant emphasis within the design of the programme regarding what more can be done to prevent trauma and re-traumatisation for both our customers and our colleagues. We are learning from best practice demonstrated by organisations such as NHS Education Scotland, Work Services Australia and the Wales ACES Hub to shape the future prioritisation of this work With response to the query around training, we have begun the roll out of an introductory module into the Trauma Informed Approach for all colleagues which is the first in a suite of products and a long-term commitment to upskilling around the topic of trauma. This learning will be complimented by products and initiatives that will enable the skills learned to be embedded into the business-as-usual operations of the whole department.

Child Maintenance Service: Training

Hannah Bardell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he (a) is taking and (b) plans to take steps to reduce the waiting times for responses from the Child Maintenance Service.

Paul Maynard: The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is committed to delivering our DWP Customer Charter promises and has created a customer-focused continuous improvement culture to support and achieve this. CMS has made changes to the way they communicate with customers. This includes expanding the facilities offered through the online self-service and web chat, allowing parents to access their account 24 hours a day, seven days a week at a time that works for them. In addition, changes are being made to customer communication content, so they are clearer especially within letters. CMS regularly review our resourcing strategy against business demands to ensure we best meet customer demand and priorities. When DWP receive correspondence relating to a complaint, they aim to fully resolve or agree a resolution within 15 working days of receipt. Complex issues may take longer to resolve. DWP triage complaints giving priority to vulnerable claimants who may be at risk, and those with benefit payment issues. We continue to investigate all complaints as quickly as we can and, as part of the triage process, we write or call those customers and honourable members where there may be a delay in answering their complaint. Case conferences are in place to find swift resolution to aging complaint cases. Complaints are used to provide customer insight to shape future services and drive improvements. Since 2021, Child Maintenance Service complaints team has seen their response times to complainants steadily improve and are now responding to almost all complaints within the timescale.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Climate Change Convention: United Arab Emirates

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many members of His Majesty's Government (a) have attended and (b) plan to attend COP28 as of 5 December 2023.

Amanda Solloway: A total of 11 Government Ministers from across different Government Departments are due to have attended COP28.

Carbon Emissions: Costs

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Climate Change Committee’s publication entitled CCC assessment of recent announcements and developments on Net Zero, published on 12 October 2023, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of its findings that the (a) cancellation of regulations on the private-rented sector and (b) delayed phase out of fossil fuel cars would increase costs for households.

Amanda Solloway: At a time when the pressure on the cost of living is already high, my Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister has chosen to chart the fairest credible path to reach net zero, while taking into account that some measures under previous plans would have imposed significant up front costs on families. For example, delaying the Electric Vehicle phase out date will allow consumers to choose the vehicle that best suits their budget, whether that means opting for an Electric Vehicle now or waiting to take advantage of falling prices over the coming decade.

Carbon Emissions

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Climate Change Committee’s publication entitled CCC assessment of recent announcements and developments on Net Zero, published on 12 October 2023, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department's polices of its findings that recent policy developments (a) have made meeting future targets harder and (b) increase longer-term risks to meeting the 2050 Net Zero target.

Amanda Solloway: The Committee reported increased confidence in the UK meeting the fourth Carbon Budget in its 2023 annual progress report. The Government has taken considerable further steps since then, including introducing the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate, the agreement with Tata steel for industrial electrification in Port Talbot and reform to electricity grid connections. The Committee’s most recent analysis shows there is no material difference in the UK's progress to cut emissions since its last report in June. The Government remains committed to its carbon budgets, which keep it on track to meet net zero in 2050.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero: Official Hospitality

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much their Department spent on hospitality in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.

Amanda Solloway: We do not routinely publish this data, as has been the case under successive administrations. All Business Units within the Department have a responsibility to keep official hospitality costs as low as possible and demonstrate good value for money. Details of ministerial and senior official hospitality are published on a quarterly basis and are available on GOV.UK.

Electricity: Storage

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has targets for large-scale long-duration electricity storage deployment by (a) 2030 and (b) 2050.

Andrew Bowie: We recognise the important contribution large-scale long duration electricity storage can make to delivering a secure, low-carbon energy system in a cost-effective manner. As set out in Powering Up Britain and British Energy Security Strategy, we plan to put in place an appropriate policy framework for enabling investment by the end of 2024. We do not have specific capacity targets for long duration electricity storage in 2030 or 2050. Other technologies could play equivalent roles but through the development of the policy framework, we will establish an approach for determining access to revenue support.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Official Hospitality

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much their Department spent on hospitality in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.

Andrew Griffith: We do not routinely publish this data, as has been the case under successive administrations. All Business Units within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology have a responsibility to keep official hospitality costs as low as possible and demonstrate good value for money.Details of ministerial and senior official hospitality are published on a quarterly basis, and are available on GOV.UK.

Wales Office

Wales Office: Official Hospitality

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much their Department spent on hospitality in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.

Fay Jones: We do not routinely publish this data, as has been the case under successive administrations. All Business Units within the office have a responsibility to keep official hospitality costs as low as possible and demonstrate good value for money. Details of ministerial and senior official hospitality are published on a quarterly basis, and are available on GOV.UK.